Edappadi Palaniswami personally visited the mortal remains of Pookkadai Mahendran—an AIADMK cadre who had passed away after declaring, “My soul will find peace only if Edappadi Palaniswami places a garland upon my body”—and paid his tributes by garlanding the deceased. The scene of the family members wailing inconsolably before him moved the party members present at the spot to tears.