Chennai: Sidelined party Deputy General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinkaran has dubbed the merger of two factions of the AIADMK as a “betrayal” of party general secretary V.K. Sasikala.
Breaking his silence on the sudden developments leading to the merger of the factions led by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam on Monday, Dhinakaran, in a series of tweets on Monday night, also questioned the durability of the arrangement.
“It is not a merger. It is a commercial agreement reached for self-interest and hunger for positions and to protect posts,” he claimed.
Stating that his political journey would continue, he vowed to protect the party and retrieve its ‘Two Leaves’ symbol which has been frozen by the Election Commission ahead of the now cancelled April 14 bolection to R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency.
Dhinakaran, nephew of Sasiakala, said he was suffering from sore throat and fever and had been advised rest and would meet media on Wednesday.
“Only God knows how long this [merger] will hold. In 1989, in deference to the wishes of cadres, Amma [late chief minister Jayalalitha] was accepted as the general secretary and all united under her leadership,” he said.
He was referring to the then reunification of the party after a split following the death of AIADMK founder and late chief minister M.G. Ramachandran in December 1987.
The split ensued after Ramachandran’s wife Janaki was appointed chief minister and Jayalalitha claimed the support of the cadres.
“How can they [Palaniswami camp] join hands with Panneerselvam who till yesterday was branding the regime ruling the state as corrupt,” he said.
His tweets came hours after the factions merged and Panneerselvam was appointed the deputy chief minister and his close aide K. Pandiarajan a minister.
After the merger, one of the leaders of Palaniswami camp R. Vaithilingam had said that steps would be taken to expel Sasikala by the General Council, a key demand made by Panneerselvam.
Meanwhile, the minor AIADMK group led by Dinakaran on Tuesday told Governor Chennameneni Vidyasagar Rao that it wants the Tamil Nadu chief minister changed, a faction member said.
Pattali Makkal Katchi leader Anbumani Ramadoss meanwhile said the Governor must ask Chief Minister K. Palaniswami to prove his government’s majority immediately in the House to avoid any horse-trading.
Speaking to a television channel after meeting the Governor, Sasikala-Dinakaran loyalist Thangathamizh Chelvan said: “We have told the Governor that we will be taking steps to change Chief Minister Palaniswami.”
He added: “We are taking steps in this regard.” According to him, the party legislators would meet and elect a new Chief Minister.
Lost majority
Nineteen legislators belonging to the Dinakaran faction met the Governor on Tuesday at Raj Bhavan.
Reacting to the development, PMK’s Ramadoss said the 19 legislators belonging to the Dinakaran group had told the Governor that they had withdrawn their support to the government.
Accordingly, the AIADMK government had lost majority in the assembly, he said.
He said the AIADMK had 134 members in the assembly (excluding the Speaker) and this had fallen to 115 without the support of the Dinakaran faction.
Ramadoss said three legislators belonging to other parties who fought the 2016 assembly elections under the AIADMK’s “two leaves” symbol had also expressed support to Dinakaran.
As a result, the total number of AIADMK legislators supporting the government was only 112, less than the number needed to have a legislative majority, Ramadoss said.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats. One seat is vacant due to the death of Jayalalitha.
Of the 233 members, the DMK has 89 members, the Congress-8 and the IUML-1. Speaker P. Dhanapal has only a casting vote in a tie.
The DMK, Congress and IUML are in an alliance.
It is not known whether the Dinakaran faction would vote against the government if there is a no-confidence motion in the assembly.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin had earlier said the party would move a no-confidence motion if there was a need.
Panneerselvam portfolios
In another development in state politics, the Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam was allocated additional portfolios on Tuesday, an official statement said.
The Governor’s office said in the statement that Panneerselvam was allocated the additional portfolios of Planning, Legislative Assembly, Elections and Passports, which were previously held by MLA D. Jayakumar.
Jayakumar was redesignated as Minster for Fisheries, Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
Panneerselvam was initially allocated the portfolios of Finance, Housing, Rural Housing, Housing Development, Slum Clearance Board, Town Planning, Urban Development, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Accommodation Control.
