19 Dinakaran loyalists ‘withdraw support’ to EPS

CHENNAI: Hours after 19 AIADMK legislators loyal to ousted deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran “withdrew” support to TN CM E Palanisami, DMK working president MK Stalin on Tuesday demanded the immediate convening of an assembly session and a floor test.

CHENNAI: Hours after 19 AIADMK legislators, loyal to ousted deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran, “withdrew” support to Tamil Nadu chief minister Edapaddi Palanisami, DMK working president MK Stalin on Tuesday sought the immediate convening of an assembly session and a floor test for the government to prove its majority .

The developments came a day after two warring factions of the AIADMK — one led by Palaniswami and the other by former CM O Panneerselvam — merged in a show of strength and indicated they would soon dismiss Dinakaran’s aunt and party interim chief, VK Sasikala.

Dinakaran’s appointment has already been scrapped and Sasikala is serving a jail term for corruption. In a letter to governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Stalin cited the SR Bommai judgment and said the current government was reduced to a minority and its continuation is unconstitutional.

The Dinakaran camp MLAs have urged the governor to change the CM, saying they have lost faith in his corrupt regime. They also asked the governor to “start the constitutional process” after the government was reduced to a minority.

Stalin told reporters the governor ought to have ordered a floor test after the MLAs formally informed him about withdrawing their support. “It is ironic that the PM speaks about waging war against corruption but was personally engaged in bringing together two of the corrupt politicians in Tamil Nadu together,” he said. Dinakaran launched his attack against the EPS-OPS camp by “sacking” R Vaithialingam, member of parliament from AIADMK, for his assertion that the party general council would soon meet to oust Sasikala. Viathialingam, in turn, questioned the authority of Dinakaran to sack him. “Dinakaran has already been ousted as his appointment was illegal ,” the MP said.