‘No unity until Sasikala, family go’

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam yesterday ruled out any unity in the AIADMK until the jailed V.K. Sasikala and her family are ousted from the party.

Speaking in Perikulam in Theni district, about 520 km from here, Panneerselvam said there cannot be any unification talks if Sasikala and her family members remained party members.

“Our stand is Sasikala and her family members should not be in the party,” he said.

Panneerselvam said AIADMK founder, the late M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), and the late J. Jayalalitha were against any family controlling the party.

Family control

He said there was no change in his fundamental stance that the party and the government should not be under the control of one family.

According to him, MGR never involved his brother in party affairs when he founded the AIADMK and went on to rule Tamil Nadu for a decade until his death in 1987.

Panneerselvam said Jayalalitha admitted only Sasikala into the party and none from the latter’s family.

The AIADMK split into two after Jayalalitha’s death. One faction is led by Sasikala and the other by Panneerselvam.