tamil-nadu

Updated: Jul 29, 2019 13:14 IST

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu on Saturday lashed out at its senior leader and outgoing Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan for expressing displeasure against the party’s dual leadership.

The power in the AIADMK is split between chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who holds the post of co-coordinator of the party, and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, who is the coordinator and party convenor.

Maitreyan, who was a three-time Rajya Sabha member, retired on Wednesday. While addressing the media in Chennai on Thursday, the AIADMK leader revealed his anguish at not being re-nominated to the upper house.

“When our leader J Jayalalithaa was alive, she gave me an opportunity to enter the Rajya Sabha thrice. However, I was hurt since my current leadership has ignored me. I expected a ticket to contest from the South Chennai Lok Sabha seat. When the party announced another candidate, I thought that I would be offered the Rajya Sabha ticket. But nothing was given by the party leadership,” Maitreyan told the media.

The former Rajya Sabha MP then attacked the power structure in the party, saying its advantages and disadvantages.

To this, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who has been echoing the official stance of the AIADMK, said it is unacceptable to critise the party leaders.

“It is unfair for an AIADMK man to complain against his leaders. Offering party posts and election tickets are up to party high-command. In the past, the party high-command had denied election seats to me. I neither revolted nor cried like Maitreyan. We will not tolerate this kind of criticism,” Jayakumar told the media.

It might be recalled Jayakumar’s son J Jayavardhan had contested in the South Chennai Lok Sabha constituency for which Maitreyan wanted a ticket. DMK’s Sumathi alias Tamilachi Thangapandian has defeated Jayavardhan in South Chennai LS seat.