The sidelining of T. T. V. Dhinakaran by the camp owing allegiance to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami appears to be complete with Ministers, senior functionaries of the AIADMK (Amma), and many of the MLAs of the faction rallying behind the latter.
The Chief Minister’s supporters have made it clear that Mr. Palaniswami will steer the government and the party as well.
“We do not have to bother about anyone,” was the response of Finance Minister D. Jayakumar on Tuesday to a question about Mr. Dhinakaran’s statement earlier in the day, reiterating his decision to return to active party work shortly. Mr. Dhinakaran is the deputy general secretary of the party.
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To meet Sasikala
Soon after Mr. Palaniswami began interacting with the party’s senior leaders and elected representatives at the party headquarters in Royapettah on Tuesday, Mr. Dhinakaran, who had earlier announced that he would tour the State shortly to strengthen the party, said that he would meet his aunt and the interim general secretary of the party V.K. Sasikala in the Bengaluru prison on Wednesday.
Addressing the media after participating in an hour-long meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr. Jayakumar went on to say that the party, left behind by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa like a “fortified structure,” was being run “cohesively” under the “leadership” of Mr. Palaniswami, who was also heading the government. Another Minister, considered close to the Chief Minister, dismissed Mr. Dhinakaran’s attempts to return to active party work as a “non-issue.”
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