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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Aug 21, 2017, 06:31 PM IST
AIADMK factions led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and rebel leader O Panneerselvam on Monday came together after a bitter split about six months ago and announced the merger.
A smiling K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam shook hands signifying the formal merger of both the factions at the party headquarters. Speaking to media at the party headquarters, Panneerselvam said, "We have merged to fulfill the wish of party cadres to take forward the party to achieve the goals of party founder MGR and Jayalalithaa." "AIADMK government will complete its full term," said Panneerselvan thanking Chief Minister and others for the effort taken by them for the merger.
"The burden in my heart is gone, none can separate us, we are children of Amma (late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa), we are brothers," he added. OPS will be the convenor of the party. Chief Minister EPS will be co-convenor and former ministers KP Munnusamy and R Vaithilingam will be deputy convenors. "Our first priority will be to retrieve the two leaves symbol. We will fulfill all the promises made by Amma," said the chief minister. In a resolution on August 10, the chief minister's camp had already delegitimised Deputy General Secretary and Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran setting the stage for a merger.
AIADMK will get back its two leaf symbol post the merger. However, there are some MLAs who are reportedly aligned to TTV Dhinakaran. So future of K Palaniswami government continues to remain a big question.
