Chennai: “We requested O Panneerselvam to also support the Edappadi Palaniswami's candidate,” said Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Erode East by-poll candidates by EPS and OPS factions of AIADMK on Saturday.
Addressing the reporters, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said, “A candidate who is well known in the constituency, EPS candidate KS Thennarasu is a 2-time MLA and we want someone who will be the right person to win. We requested O Panneerselvam to also support the Edappadi Palaniswami's candidate.”
He also said that there was no interference by them in AIADMK’s inter-party issue.
BJP prefers that O Panneerselvam withdraw his candidate, he said. On Friday, Annamalai met Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam and urged both of them to reach an amicable decision to defeat the DMK.
The announcement of the BJP also comes a day after the Supreme Court judgment. Earlier, the Supreme Court instructed AIADMK's General Council to pass a resolution related to the candidate who will represent the party in the upcoming bye-elections of Erode (East) constituency in Tamil Nadu.
The SC also permitted O Paneerselvam and two other leaders, who were expelled by EPS camp, to vote in the general council. The bench also told the party’s Presidium Chairman to convey the council’s decision regarding the candidate to EC.
After the judgment, CV Shanmugam, AIADMK leader of EPS camp told ANI,”It's a positive order. AIADMK's General Council will elect the candidate (for Erode East bypoll), announced by interim gen secy Edappadi K Palaniswami. The decision to be communicated to EC by Presidium Chairman Tamil Magan Hussain.”