Chennai, Aug 18 (IANS): After former Chief Minister and coordinator of AIADMK, O. Panneerselvam called for unity in the party and extended a hand of friendship to joint coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the latter rejected the unity talk.

Palaniswami, when asked by mediapersons about the unity call by Panneerselvam said, "He always makes such calls. He has invited those against whom he had launched "dharmayudham" (referring to OPS fight against V.K. Sasikala and her family). For him power matters."

He stated that it was Panneerselvam who had led a mob into the party headquarters and ransacked it while the party general council meeting was taking place on July 11 at Vanagram.

Palaniswami added that OPS did not want to declare him (Palaniswami) as the Chief Minister candidate during the 2021 assembly elections and that delay had led to the party losing the assembly polls by a slender margin.

He said that Panneerselvam had delayed his (Palaniswami's) nomination as the leader of the AIADMK legislature party even as he had the support of only 3 members while he had the support of 63 members.

Palaniswami said that the issue of the single leadership cropped up only after Panneerselvam was making such moves and people were losing faith in the party.

He charged that Panneerselvam had collaborated with the party's principal opponent, the DMK.

Panneerselvam had earlier told mediapersons that 'bygones are bygones' and he was extending a hand of friendship to Palaniswami, which he has now rejected.