Cracks in AIADMK Show Up As Assembly Meets
The division among the 47 AIADMK MLAs was evident even as they trooped into the Assembly to take the oath of office: Reports
CHENNAI: The State Assembly met on Monday with the Pro-Tem Speaker M V Karuppiah presiding over the nearly half day proceedings and administering the oath of office to all the newly elected 234 members of the House, including Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and other Ministers, when cracks in the AIADMK showed up with two groups of members naming different leaders for their legislature party.
The division among the 47 AIADMK MLAs was evident even as they trooped into the Assembly to take the oath of office. Since they came in two groups, both expressing open hostility towards the other, it became obvious that they had differences.
During the day, one group gave a letter to the Pro-Tem speaker urging him to nominate former Chief Minister and party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami as their legislature party leader.
Later on, former Ministers C V Shanmugham and S P Velumani from the other group, claiming to have the support of 30 members, handed over a letter naming Velumani as the leader. It is said the group with the maximum supporters will have its way, which can put Palaniswami in a fix as he will have to adhere to the dictates of the whip who could be appointed by the Velumani faction.
Since it is the Speaker who would have to decide on the group having the majority members to identify the leader of the legislative party, it can happen only after the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip are appointed. JCD Prabhakar, representing the Thousand Lights constituency from the TVK, who filed his nomination for the Speaker’s post, is likely to be the Speaker as there has been no other nomination.
During the swearing in of the MLAs, Shanmugham representing Mailam constituency, was not present in the House and did not take the oath when his name was called out. He later on took the oath at the Speaker’s chamber at around 3.15 pm.
The conduct of Shanmugham and other AIADMK MLAs in the House pointed to an impending split in the party itself and it is expected that one of the factions might openly support the TVK government when the vote of confidence is taken in the House on May 13.
If a minimum of two third of the AIADMK MLAs break away to form an independent group and then support the TVK government, it would only add to the stability of the new regime as it would not have to depend on smaller parties having one or two MLAs for passing bills.
There is also a rumour that, in lieu of their support, the AIADMK faction might seek a share in power and its representatives could be sworn in during a Cabinet expansion in the coming days when Congress nominees might also be inducted into the Ministry. The other parties supporting the TVK government from outside, the VCK, IUML, CPM and CPI, have no aspiration to join the Ministry.