AM I THE BETRAYER?? AIADMK Supremo Palaniswami Calls out O Panneerselvam
Edappadi K Palaniswami launched a scathing attack on expelled party leader O Panneerselvam during a public meeting here on Sunday, accusing him of stooping to any level to secure a position of power.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami launched a scathing attack on expelled party leader O Panneerselvam during a public meeting here on Sunday, accusing him of stooping to any level to secure a position of power and betraying the party’s trust.
Palaniswami highlighted that after J Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, Panneerselvam, denied the chief minister’s post, initiated a so-called ‘dharma yudham’ to stake his claim. He alleged that Panneerselvam’s desperation for office led him to undermine the AIADMK. Once Palaniswami assumed the chief minister’s role in 2017, Panneerselvam allegedly voted against his own government, indirectly aiding the rival DMK.
“Did I betray the party?” Palaniswami asked rhetorically, before listing instances of Panneerselvam’s alleged disloyalty. These included his approach to the Election Commission over the party’s ‘two leaves’ symbol and his role in the 2022 violence that resulted in the sealing of the AIADMK office. Palaniswami also recalled Panneerselvam’s support for Venniradai Nirmala, a rival candidate, during the 1989 election, questioning his loyalty to ‘Amma’ Jayalalithaa.
Asserting his own seniority, Palaniswami noted that he became an MLA in 1989 and even won a Lok Sabha seat in 1998, while Panneerselvam entered the Assembly only in 2001. He claimed that he and other party members had backed Panneerselvam during his tenures as chief minister and deputy CM. However, Palaniswami accused him of rejecting others’ leadership when denied a post himself.
Looking ahead, Palaniswami expressed optimism about the AIADMK reclaiming power in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, slated for March-April next year.
