Pudukkottai witnessed tense scenes on Tuesday as supporters of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami gathered outside the Revenue Divisional Officer's (RDO) office, demanding the immediate handover of keys to the party's district office. The protest comes amid uncertainty over the political future of Viralimalai MLA C Vijayabaskar, who was removed from his post as Pudukkottai north district secretary after voting in favor of the TVK government during the confidence motion, along with 24 other AIADMK MLAs.
Background of the Factional Feud
Following Vijayabaskar's removal, Palaniswami appointed V Palanivel as the new district secretary. However, when Palanivel attempted to assume charge at the party office in Ashok Nagar, he faced resistance from supporters of Vijayabaskar. Anticipating a law-and-order problem, the police locked the office and deployed security personnel on the premises, which has remained closed since then.
Conciliation Talks
Seeking permission to open the office, Palanivel recently submitted party documents to the district administration and police. Based on this request, conciliation talks between representatives of the rival factions were held under the supervision of the RDO on Tuesday. While representatives of the EPS faction attended the talks in full strength, Vijayabaskar's camp was represented only by a lawyer. As supporters of the former minister failed to appear, officials adjourned the discussions and scheduled another round of talks for Wednesday.
Officials stated that if Vijayabaskar's supporters fail to participate again, the office keys could be handed over to Palanivel. Meanwhile, Vijayabaskar has been meeting voters across his constituency in recent days, thanking them for their support. He is expected to announce his decision soon regarding his next course of action.
