April 18, 2017
CHENNAI – Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK party on Tuesday distanced itself from general secretary VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran, brightening prospects of a truce with the O Panneerselvam faction that had rebelled against her leadership.
April 18, 2017
CHENNAI – Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK party on Tuesday distanced itself from general secretary VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran, brightening prospects of a truce with the O Panneerselvam faction that had rebelled against her leadership.
The decision was “unanimous” and based on the views of all ministers, including chief minister E Palaniswami, legislators, MPs and the people, state minister D Jayakumar said, stressing that a committee will now run the party.
Jayakumar had hinted after a meeting late last night that the two warring factions of the AIADMK will come together, but Panneerselvam appeared adamant on keeping Sasikala at bay before joining forces with CM Palaniswami.
The fast-paced developments in the AIADMK came close on the heels of Delhi Police booking party deputy general secretary Dinakaran for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official to get the party’s “two leaves” symbol allotted to his faction.
Pressure was already mounting on Dinakaran to step down after the poll panel cancelled the RK Nagar assembly by-election following a cash-for-vote scandal, and the police action against him made matters worse. Dinakaran, a nephew of general secretary VK Sasikala who is serving time in a corruption case, is the party’s RK Nagar candidate.
The seat fell vacant after the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5, and the bypoll turned into a battle for her legacy between Sasikala, her aide of almost 30 years, and Panneerselvam, a loyalist.
The AIADMK suffered a vertical split after Jayalalithaa’s death, following which her close aide Sasikala was appointed as the party chief.
However, in February this year, Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala, alleging that he was forced to make way for her to become chief minister of the state.
Subsequently, some MPs and MLAs joined the Panneerselvam camp even as chief minister K Palaniswami, a Sasikala loyalist, survived a confidence vote in the state assembly.
Courtesy: HT
