AIADMK leader junks colleague's 'MLAs will pick CM' after 2021 polls line, roots for Palaniswami

AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji on Tuesday strongly pitched for projecting incumbent K Palaniswami as the party's chief ministerial candidate in the 2021 assembly elections, contradicting the stand of a cabinet colleague.

Madurai-based party leader and Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju had on Monday said elected MLAs would choose the Chief Minister following the assembly elections next year if the ruling party was voted to power.

Bhalaji, Minister for Milk and Dairy Development, Bhalaji, from Virudhunagar district neighbouring Madurai and known for his sharp remarks on many issues, threw his weight behind Palaniswami.

"Edappadiyar (a reverential reference to the Chief Minister, addressing him by the name of his native) Endrum Mudalvar (is the Chief Minister for ever)," he said. On his twitter handle, Bhalaji asked party leaders and workers to face the poll battle after fixing the target.

"Let us face the elections by projecting Edappadiyar (as Chief Minister)," he said and also wanted to build the campaign around the persona of the incumbent. "Let us succeed. 2021 is ours," he said.

Raju had said AIADMK was being led by both Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Co-coordinator and Chief Minister K Palaniswami. "Both are our leaders and they are leading the party.

As regards our policy, only the person chosen by the party MLAs can be the chief minister," he said. "There is no second opinion about this," Raju, whose remarks on several matters had led to criticism told reporters at Madurai.

Asserting that "no confusion can be created in AIADMK," on any such matter, the Cooperation Minister said the party continued to be "very robust and the achievements of the government" has been reaching the people.

Party sources, seeking to downplay the episode,said both Raju and Bhalaji wereknown for airing their views without inhibitions.

While Raju,one of the party district secretaries in Madurairegion in southern Tamil Nadu, is relatively high on the pecking order in the party, Bhalaji is also influential. Bhalaji was relieved of the post of Virudhunagar district secretary in March but made a comeback last month getting back the key post.

The action against him was taken earlier after his remark that "if DMK continues its support to Islamic terrorism, nobody can stop Hindu terrorism". The factions led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam joined hands in 2017 August after ousting V K Sasikala, aide of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her kin including TTV Dhinakaran from the party.

Panneerelvam holds the numero uno position of coordinator in the party and Palaniswami is the co-coordinator, the second in command and all party decisions are taken jointly by them. The government is led by Palaniswami as Chief Minister and Panneerselvam comes next as his deputy.

The AIADMK, after the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016 was in a disarray till the two feuding factions came together.