PUDUKKOTTAI: Amid growing speculation about his political future, Viralimalai MLA C Vijaya Baskar on Thursday held consultations with his loyalists and district-level party functionaries at his Illupur residence in Pudukkottai. He was among the ‘rebels’ aligned with the faction led by CVe Shanmugam who voted in favor of the TVK government during the Assembly examination.
Sources close to the former minister said that different views emerged during the discussions. While senior leaders reportedly advised him to stay in the AIADMK and work towards rebuilding the party, younger supporters allegedly asked him to resign as an MLA and join the TVK.
According to sources, three options were discussed during the meeting – continuing in the AIADMK, leaving active politics, or resigning from the Assembly and joining the TVK. The final decision is expected soon, possibly on Friday.
Addressing reporters afterwards, Vijaya Baskar said, “I have heard the views of all the functionaries. Even during a huge political wave, I won by a margin of 62,000 votes because of the people and cadres who stood by me. The decision of the people of my constituency will be my decision.”
Later, Vijaya Baskar boarded a flight to Chennai. Though the two AIADMK factions came together to end their differences on Wednesday, Vijaya Baskar and Shanmugam neither met general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami nor were they part of the team that met the Speaker to withdraw the disqualification petition against MLAs in the EPS camp.
