Following the arrest of AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran by the Delhi police on charges of attempting to bribe Election Commission officials to retrieve the AIADMK’s ‘Two Leaves’ symbol, posters and banners featuring jailed party general secretary V.K. Sasikala were removed from the AIADMK headquarters on Wednesday. In their place came imagery featuring former chief minister Jayalalithaa.
Party sources said that the move was aimed at creating a conducive atmosphere for the ruling faction’s merger talks with former CM O. Panneerselvam’s camp, which has been demanding the removal of Sasikala and her family from the party. The new banners featured neither Sasikala nor any members of her family.
“This is to show that we are taking initiative for merger talks to begin,” said a senior party official. However, when asked about the timing of the removal of the posters and banners, another party leader said this was done to “expose the OPS faction.”
“The OPS faction is not serious about the talks. This is one way to bring them to the table,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior AIADMK Ministers including Sellur K. Raju, C. Vijaya Baskar, Kadambur Raju, Rajalakshmi and Durai Kannan visited the AIADMK headquarters to discuss party affairs with district secretaries.
‘A welcome step’
The AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) faction also toned down its rhetoric. Its leaders on Wednesday said the removal of Sasikala’s posters from the party headquarters by the AIADMK (Amma) camp was a significant first step to win their trust and for the talks to proceed.
Former minister and leader of the committee for talks in the OPS camp, K.P. Munusamy, said: “As a first step, they have taken down her (Sasikala’s) posters from the headquarters. The situation has now improved and we will engage in talks once the situation becomes more conducive”.
“They (EPS faction) know our thoughts. Even before talks have begun, they have taken down the posters. We are all brothers. There will be disagreements between brothers, which can be resolved through talks. Once they take more steps to make the situation better, talks will happen,” he said.
