Amidst increasing controversies, the two camps of AIADMK have planned on merging and forming a single party again. The ruling AIADMK Amma, led by E Palaniswami held a meeting with the ten of the important party members to hold talks with O Panneerselvam camp.
The party members have also come to a conclusion that VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran must resign from their position in the party. Dinakaran, who was in Bengaluru, has returned to Chennai on Tuesday without meeting Sasikala, who is serving time for disproportionate assets case in Bengaluru jail.
These talks of a merger are allegedly based on ‘compromise formula’. The reunited AIADMK is expected to have O Panneerselvam as the party chief replacing VK Sasikala. Sasikala was appointed as the general secretary of AIADMK after the death of J Jayalalithaa as she was the closest accomplice of Amma. Before being arrested, Sasikala appointed her nephew as the general secretary and Palaniswami as the CM of the State.
The Panneerselvam supporters, however, want him to be both the party chief and Chief minister of the state, whereas Palaniswami is expected to remain the CM of the state. This decision of merger came after corruption charges against Dinakaran. The General Secretary allegedly tried to bribe the EC to buy the ‘two leaves’ party symbol of AIADMK which was frozen by EC after the split of the party.
These charges did not go well with the party members who felt that it hurt the image of the party. Minister D. Jayakumar, after the emergency meeting of 25 ministers said, “We welcome O Panneerselvam’s offer for talks.” The minister also said that this merger will strengthen the party and will help in getting back the ‘two leaves’ symbol of AIADMK, that the EC froze. He said, “We will keep the party together; 172 MLAs are together and all of them want to continue to make sure that the party stays together.”
This meeting is expected to be after the EC hearing in Delhi where the rivals are meeting to hear the judgment on Sasikala’s appointment as party chief, which was opposed by O Pannerselvam.
