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After 25 AIADMK MLAs supported the ruling TVK in the floor test, CV Shanmugam on Wednesday questioned the whip and said that the party MLAs signed no resolution to confirm Edappadi K Palaniswami as the legislative party leader.
Although the CM Vijay-led TVK had the support of 120 MLAs, it passed the floor test with 144 votes amid an ADMK versus ADMK showdown in the Assembly. Addressing a press conference, Shanmugam alleged that a party MLA meeting for the election of assembly leader, deputy leader and whip, as claimed by EPS, was never held. He noted that C Vijaya Bhaskar was the AIADMK Whip in the Assembly and claimed that the party whip cannot be appointed directly by the party's general secretary. EPS had claimed Krishnamoorthy to be the party's whip. Calling the letter shown by the EPS "forged," the ADMK MLA claimed no resolution within the party not to support the TVK during the floor test. "On behalf of AIADMK, 25 MLAs have supported TVK Leader TN CM Vijay. EPS is lying on the issue of the signature of 47 MLAs on the resolution not to support TVK. When did the 47 MLAs sign this resolution, as claimed by EPS? He cannot claim this as no such meeting on a resolution took place. The letter given by EPS to the Speaker was forged," he said. "He also claims that our MLAs have signed and given permission to announce assembly leader, deputy leader and whip, but our MLAs have signed for another season, and it's not for the reason which Edapadi Palaniswami claims," he added. Shanmugam further dared Palaniswami to show proof of the meeting and that the resolution was passed by the party members. "Can he show the proof of when the MLAs ' meeting was held? When did he get the signatures? Does he have the guts to show the proof of when the resolution is passed, when signatures were obtained from MLAs? There was no such AIADMK MLAs meeting held so far. He may show a photo as MLAs meeting, but the photo was just an informal meeting held," he said. Regarding EPS' claims that the members of the other faction defied the directives of the party whip, appointed by the General Secretary, Shanmugam said that the party MLAs elected C Vijaya Bhaskar as the AIADMK Whip and not Krishnamoorthy, contrary to EPS' claims. Dismissing EPS' election as the assembly leader, he said that the General Secretary is allegedly acting out of anger for not getting majority support. "The General Secretary cannot select the Assembly whip, but it's all MLAs should elect the Whip.C. Vijaya Bhaskar is the selected AIADMK Whip in the TN Assembly. Party Whip cannot be appointed directly by the party's general secretary," he said. "Since he doesn't have majority support, such things have been said by Edappadi Palaniswami. He claims he was elected as Assembly leader, but it's a lie," he added. Furthermore, the MLA hit back at EPS over his claims that the members who voted in support of TVK were "lured by ministerial positions" and alleged that it was EPS who enticed MLAs, expecting support from DMK. "Edappadi Palaniswami said we are going to form an AIADMK government, and DMK is going to give us support from outside. He lured out MLAs by offering Minister posts," he alleged. Earlier, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, recognising the party whip as the highest authority regarding decisions in the assembly, said that "no one else" can go against the General Secretary. "We appointed Krishnamoorthy as the party whip, and it was informed to all the MLAs about it. However, a few former ministers who were elected as MLAs issued statements that amounted to betraying the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and violating political discipline. Even after being informed our stand, they announced that they would support the ruling government. This is entirely against the law," he said. He asserted that the MLAs who betrayed the party fell for the enticement and defied the "party leadership's directives." "AIADMK 47 MLAs who won in the Assembly elections were elected under the 'Two Leaves' symbol. Instead of remaining loyal to the party, they have betrayed it. Their desire to become ministers has led them to act against the party leadership's directives. This is against both the law and justice," he said. This comes after the AIADMK faction led by MLA CV Shanmugam supported the TVK government in the Tamil Nadu assembly during the floor test, deepening the ongoing differences (ANI)
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