Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) general secretary, has sought the Bharat Ratna Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, who is the most prominent figure representing the Thevar community.
This is being viewed as an effort to make inroads into the influential Thevar community, particularly after the expulsion of its leaders such as VK Sasikala, TTV Dhinakaran and O Panneerselvam.
The request follows Palaniswami's meeting on Tuesday with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a key BJP troubleshooter, in New Delhi. While the meeting was held to discuss issues within the AIADMK and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Palaniswami avoided the press afterwards.
A day later, on Wednesday, he revealed that he had met the senior leader to seek the country’s highest honour for the Thevar leader.
"I handed over a letter on behalf of AIADMK, strongly urging that the highest award of India, Bharat Ratna, be conferred on Pasumppon U Muthuramalinga Thevar, who struggled for national liberation," said Palaniswami.
It is being speculated as a calculated move by the leader, who is facing a crisis within the AIADMK ahead of a crucial Assembly election scheduled for 2026.
Even after nearly a decade, Palaniswami has been unable to garner support from the Thevar community, which was once key to the party's edge over the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. However, the move to seek the honour for the Thevar leader is likely to have an impact on its Dalit voter base in southern Tamil Nadu.
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