Several AIADMK MLAs, including 21 who have publicly declared support to sidelined leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, stayed away on Monday from a crucial meeting of legislators, Parliamentarians and office-bearers of the ‘unified’ party headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy in government O. Panneerselvam.
The absence of more legislators from the Chennai meeting convened ostensibly to discuss steps to keep jailed leader V.K. Sasikala away from party affairs, is seen as a setback to Mr. Palaniswami. The AIADMK cumulatively has 134 MLAs excluding the Speaker, while the strength of the Opposition is 98. Even among those who attended, some indicated that they will not support any attempt to sideline Sasikala from the party.
A press release issued under a new letterhead of AIADMK (Amma, Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) highlighted four resolutions passed at the meeting but did not specify the number of MLAs who attended.
In the evening, the AIADMK (Amma, PTA) announced that the party general council and executive committee would meet in Chennai on September 12 “in response to the request of a large number of members” but did not spell out the agenda. It is anticipated that the issue of nullifying Sasikala’s appointment as “interim general secretary” could be taken up by the two high-profile party bodies.
Emerging from the two-hour meeting, D. Jayakumar, Fisheries Minister, in a chat with the media, asserted that a “majority” of the legislators, Members of Parliament, district secretaries and functionaries attached to the headquarters took part in the meeting.
When pressed further, he claimed the number was 117. Moments later, R. Vaithilingam, organising secretary, mentioned a figure of 115 and left the headquarters hurriedly.
B. Valarmathi, secretary of the literary wing and spokesperson, who also took part in the meeting, quoted the Chief Minister as informing the participants that only four or five legislators did not turn up, citing personal reasons.
P. Vetrivel, one of the prominent MLAs of the Dhinakaran camp, said he and his 20 colleagues were not invited.
A.K. Bose, Tirupparankundram legislator, who met Mr. Dhinakaran in Theni on Sunday morning and had not yet associated himself with either of the camps, said he attended the meeting as he was told that no resolution would be adopted against Sasikala.
“No resolution was indeed adopted against her,” the legislator told The Hindu . The general council meeting would be chaired by E. Madhusudananan, who was hitherto part of the AIADMK (PTA).
Later in the day, Mr Jayakumar, P. Thangamani, C.Ve. Shanmugam, all Ministers, V. Maitreyan, MP and P H Manoj Pandian, former MP, left for New Delhi to take steps for the withdrawal of affidavits filed with the Election Commission.
‘TTV has no right’
One of the resolutions declared that Mr. Dhinakaran had “no right or qualification” to appoint “a few persons” fresh office-bearers and remove the existing functionaries, “recognised” by Jayalalithaa.
Pointing out that Mr. Dhinakaran was removed from the post of deputy general secretary on August 10, the resolution stated that his appointment was “made contrary” to the provision – 30 (V) of the party by-laws which talked of the prerequisite of five-year-long uninterrupted membership to hold any position in the party. “When the Election Commission has not recognised the appointment of Ms. V.K. Sasikala as general secretary of the AIADMK as an interim arrangement, her appointing anyone as deputy general secretary and such an appointed person doing the party work are against party by-laws.”
Another said legal steps would be taken to ‘retrieve’ Dr. Namadhu MGR , a daily regarded as an arm of the party till now, and Jaya TV from the Sasikala camp. The two are said to be under the control of the Sasikala family.
