Trouble within AIADMK brews as OPS & EPS factions merge

NUMBERS GAME Party has wafer-thin majority in the Assembly, with the DMK lurking around DHINAKARAN FACTOR The rebel claims support of at least 18 legislators, will meet Governor today

Ending months of feud, the two factions of the AIADMK headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his predecessor, O. Panneerselvam reunited on Monday. But the unified party is surviving on razor’s edge in the 233-member Assembly with Sasikala’s nephew, T.T.V. Dhinakaran commanding the loyalty of at least 18 MLAs. The unified AIADMK sans the Dhinakaran faction has the support of 117 MLAs including the Speaker, and the Opposition DMK and Congress together command 98 MLAs.

The Sasikala camp appeared to be in no mood to give up without a fight. MLAs owing allegiance to Dhinakaran said they would meet Governor Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday.

It is widely believed that the peace between the two factions was brokered by the BJP.

Perhaps realising the crisis posed by Dhinakaran, both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam steered clear of making any commitment on his aunt, jailed party leader V.K. Sasikala’s ouster from the party. It was left to Vaithilingam to announce that the party general council would be convened to take action against Sasikala. He said Sasikala was be expelled from the party soon. Panneerselvam had earlier demanded her ouster as a condition for the merger.

The coming together of the two factions saw the Tamil Nadu Cabinet being expanded with Panneerselvam being sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister holding the portfolios of Finance, Housing and Urban Development. In the past, Panneerselvam was swornin as chief minister thrice -2001, 2014 and 2016. All the terms did not last beyond a few months. On the first two occasions, he had filled in for Jayalalithaa, who was convicted in corruption cases, and the third time after her death.

Panneerselvam, who had rebelled against Sasikala, will now steer the unified AIADMK as the coordinator of an 11-member team and Palaniswami will be the joint coordinator of the committee.

Following Panneerselvam’s rebellion, petitions were filed in the Election Commission challenging Sasikala’s appointment as AIADMK general-secretary. The law mandated that a general-secretary can be elected only by the primary members of the party. Besides, she was not a primary member of the party for five continuous years, which was a pre-requisite as per the party’s constitution.

The fight between the two factions had led to the Election Commission freezing the AIADMK’s name and election symbol giving birth to the Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma factions.

While the AIADMK (Amma) faction owed allegiance to Sasikala, eventually a new dominant group under the leadership of Palaniswami emerged and her family members were side-lined from the party.