Chennai: After remaining divided for about a fortnight, the AIADMK factions patched up on Wednesday, with the rebel camp claiming that there was never a split in the party but only "difference of opinion" that saw the MLAs siding with Edappadi K Palaniswami on one side and the Shanmugam-Velumani duo on the other.
The rebel MLAs led by former state minister S P Velumani called on party chief Palaniswami at his Greenways Road residence here and expressed their support for the AIADMK general secretary, a party source said. However, C Ve Shanmugam was conspicuous by his absence but Velumani claimed he was with them.
Shortly after calling on Palaniswami, Velumani met Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar.
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Speaking to reporters, Velumani, the party's Coimbatore strongman, denied having engineered a split in the AIADMK. Also, he refuted a charge by Palaniswami supporters that his group voted in favour of the TVK government during its May 13 floor test aspiring for high positions in the government.
Earlier, about 13 legislators including senior leader K C Veeramani accompanied Velumani. Shanmugam, who was conspicuous by his absence, had along with Velumani and other legislators, demanded that the party support the TVK government.
However, Velumani said Shanmugam was also with them. "We came from Shanmugam's office (before meeting Palaniswami). So, we are all united," he said.
Shortly after meeting the AIADMK chief, Velumani, accompanied by former minister Dr C Vijayabaskar, legislators supporting him, and senior leaders including Agri S S Krishnamurthy from the Palaniswami camp, called on Speaker Prabhakar and submitted a letter stating that they would function as one party in the Assembly.
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Vijayabaskar withdrew his earlier letter requesting the Speaker to recognise him as party whip.
The Speaker said he would announce his decision on Thursday regarding the letter submitted by the AIADMK members.
"There is no split in the AIADMK, as was projected in the media. There was only difference of opinion, and it has been set right," Velumani told reporters after meeting the Speaker. He said following the defeat in the April 23 Assembly election he and others had sought for convening a meeting to review the party's performance and analyse the reasons for the defeat. A section of them took a stand in the Assembly to support the TVK government.
"Today Agri SS Krishnamurthy and others (MLAs) who petitioned the Speaker and 22 MLAs (from the rebel camp) who submitted a similar petition seeking to disqualify the legislators (on either sides) under the anti defection law, withdrew both our petitions," Velumani, once considered a close aide of Palaniswami, added.
He further said that Palaniswami has agreed to consider their request to constitute a committee to review performance and probe reasons for the defeat in a phased manner.
"We are in AIADMK which will function as a united and strong force following an appeal by our general secretary," he said.
During this period, four AIADMK MLAs resigned and joined Chief Minister C JosephVijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Subsequently, the party's strength in the 234-member House has dipped to 43 from 47.
