Dinakaran met his aunt and party General Secretary VK Sasikala in a Bengaluru prison for the second time this month to discuss the developments in the party, while the legislators supporting him called on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at the secretariat.
AIADMK Amma faction Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran, who was sidelined by senior party ministers two months ago, is making a bid to take control of the party affairs, with over 33 MLAs backing him.
Dinakaran met his aunt and party General Secretary VK Sasikala in a Bengaluru prison for the second time this month to discuss the developments in the party, while the legislators supporting him called on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at the secretariat.
According to sources in the Dinakaran camp, they wanted the party affairs to be handed over to Dinakaran, while Palaniswami could run the government. After the Assembly session got over on Thursday afternoon, about 20 legislators led by former Minister Senthil Balaji and P Vetrivel met Palaniswami in his chamber for around 30 minutes. Sources said that the legislators wanted the CM to instruct his ministers not to object when Dinakaran makes a visit to the party headquarters in the coming days.
Dinakaran met Sasikala on Thursday evening to decide on his future course of action, his close associates said. He had met her on June 5 after being released on bail in the Election Commission bribery case. On that day, he said Sasikala advised him to give two months' time for the ministers to merge the two factions. However, the rebel former chief minister O Panneerselvam has disbanded the committee formed to hold the reunion talks.
"What is the point in waiting for two months? They have dissolved the committee to hold talks. So we decided that Dinakaran, who is the party Deputy General Secretary, should run the party like before," said an MLA belonging to Dinakaran's camp.
After the MLAs' meeting with the CM, Palaniswami chaired a meeting with senior ministers and leaders in the party headquarters on Thursday evening to discuss Dinakaran's supporter's demand. The survival of the government depends entirely on the support of the 33 MLAs in Dinakaran's camp. So, sources said that Palaniswami has no other option but to accede to their demands.
Analysis
Dinakaran has found his footing back in Tamil Nadu politics after being released on bail in a bribery case.
Chief Minister Palaniswami will find it tough to tackle his initiative to take control of the party’s affairs.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "TTV Dinakaran")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}