'Nobody can shake' AIADMK as long as 'Narendra Modi supports party', says Tamil Nadu minister Rajendra Balaji

Andipatti (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu minister KT Rajendra Balaji has said “nobody can shake” the AIADMK as long as Prime Minister Narendra Modi “supports the party”. Expressing confidence that Chief Minister K Palaniswamy’s camp would get the ’two leaves’ symbol, the state dairy minister said, “The symbol will come to EPS camp… there is no doubt about it.” [caption id=“attachment_4071289” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The two leaves symbol. Image Courtesy@ electadmk.com[/caption] Addressing a party meeting in Andipatti late on Friday night, he said as along as “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is with us, nobody can shake our party… nobody can destroy AIADMK….” He asserted that no one could oppose the ruling AIADMK, including the DMK. He claimed that 92 percent of general council members supported the Palaniswamy camp. The Election Commission had on 23 March frozen the name AIADMK and its election symbol after the factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it ahead of the RK Nagar bypoll, necessitated by the death of party supremo J Jayalalithaa. Chief Minister Palaniswamy, however, revolted against Sasikala. On 21 August, rival AIADMK factions led by Palaniswamy and Panneerselvam merged, ending a nearly seven-month feud in a power sharing formula in the ruling party and the government in which the latter was made the deputy chief minister. Balaji had earlier courted controversy when he alleged that private dairy firms mixed harmful chemicals in milk.