Chennai: Embattled TTV Dhinakaran struck back on Tuesday improving his score of loyalists among the AIADMK legislators even as senior Ministers nursed their worry lines and opposition leader M. K. Stalin predicted the quick collapse of the Government. True admirers of ‘Two-Leaves’ cannot miss Amma more.
Four MLAs had gone with him when he drove to the Parappana Agrahara jail to meet with his incarcerated aunt V. K. Sasikala early Monday evening. Before he retired to bed at his Adyar bungalow in Chennai that night, 10 legislators had called on him to express solidarity in his fight against being isolated in the party after being discharged from Tihar jail on bail in the case of attempt to bribe the Election Commission to get the party's Two-Leaves symbol. And by Tuesday night, TTV's score went up to 24 in the 123-member legislature party of the AIADMK led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
When he had emerged from Sasikala's meeting, TTV announced a two-month moratorium for the fruition of the 'promised' merger of the EPS-OPS factions and warned that if no headway was made by then, he would have to step in and set things right. Well, it appears that the truce time evaporated before the dawn - perhaps triggered by the war-cry of Minister D. Jayakumar.
While TTV insisted that aunt Sasikala remains party general secretary and in her absence now, he is in control as the deputy GS, Jayakumar late Monday reiterated his April 17 announcement banishing both members of the 'discredited' family “for the sake of the party and its 1.5 crore cadres”.
And while TTV's loyalists, such as legislators P. Vetrivel (Perambur) and Thanga Thamizhchelvan (Andipatti), flayed Jayakumar for 'exceeding authority', the latter pointed out he was acting at the behest of the entire EPS Cabinet.
All this cacophony is sweet music for DMK's working president Stalin. "As I have said before, this government will collapse even before the Assembly session (June 14). The sooner this government goes, the better for the people", he told reporters Tuesday morning while on way to participate in the Kongu Naadu Makkal Katchi conference at Erode.
But then, the fiercely squabbling TTV-EPS men, and women, are clear in their resolve to protect the Government even while slugging it out at the party level. Challenged by the 'family' and having to face the Assembly in a little over a week, CM Palaniswami has begun an elaborate three-day exercise to meet party MLAs, district-wise, 'to understand the problems of their constituencies for redress in the House session' but in truth to stem the traffic towards TTV. He met 28 MLAs from eight districts on day-one, Tuesday, and hardcore TTV supporter Vetrivel was among the attendees.
"I am here as MLA of our party, to participate in CM's meeting to discuss constituency problems. We have issues with Jayakumar but we will do nothing to topple the government", Vetrivel told the 'surprised' media persons at the Secretariat.
Funnily though, Vetrivel and Thanga Thamizhchelvan are demanding Jayakumar's scalp though the Minister spoke on behalf of the Chief Minister and the entire Cabinet - which just shows the hollowness of the shadow-boxing that's been going on in the ruling party. "Jayakumar will be punished pretty soon, for sure", thundered Thamizhchelvan emerging from TTV's house (Tuesday) afternoon.
"Don't take dear brother Thamizhchelvan's words seriously", quipped Jayakumar when reporters sought his response later in the evening.
