TTV has no right to appoint office-bearers: Tamil Nadu revenue minister
Madurai: In a surprise move, Tamil Nadu revenue minister and ‘Amma Peravai’ secretary RB Udhayakumar, who was the first office-bearer to press a resolution to make V.K. Sasikala as Chief Minister, on Saturday hit out at TTV Dhinakaran saying that the latter had no locus standi to appoint new officer-bearers for AIADMK (Amma).
Udhayakumar, who actively campaigned for Dhinakaran during the RK Nagar by-election, said that the Election Commission of India has not yet recognised him as AIADMK deputy general secretary.
“The EC also had made it clear that Dhinakaran name has not figured in the AIADMK functionaries list submitted to them,” said the minister.
Through this announcement, Dhinakaran was attempting to upstage himself as the leader of the party; however, it only exposed that he had failed to win over the party functionaries, Udhayakumar told reporters at Madurai on Saturday.
While Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was running an efficient government with the full cooperation of AIADMK (Amma) functionaries and people's mandate, Dhinakaran was trying to create confusion among the party
cadres, claimed the minister.
“But neither the EC nor the party cadres will acknowledge his authority over appointing officer-bearers in the party. Dhinakaran only made himself a laughing stock among the people, “said Udhayakumar.
Asked why after having supported Dhinakaran in the RK Nagar by-election, he was now opposing him, Udhayakumar said that he had no proof of Dhinakaran having sanction of party general secretary Sasikala to make this announcement.
Moreover, this was not the practice followed by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who would finalise the office-bearers list only after she scrutinized the candidates recommended by the senior party functionaries, the minister claimed.
Dhinakaran had appointed 12 of his loyalists as organising secretaries and deputy secretaries of 'Amma Peravai'. “We are not questioning the talents and efficiency of those appointed for these posts, but the way Dhinakaran made this announcement is against party tradition,” he said.
Thiruparankundram MLA AK Bose who was present at the press meet, also refused to accept joint secretary, agricultural wing post offered by Dhinakaran on health grounds. But Bose is also of the opinion that he should not have made such an announcement when the AIADMK (Amma) faction was fighting the case in Election Commission.
Asked about charges that the AIADMK (Amma) government was functioning hand-in-glove with BJP, Udhayakumar said that they were doing it for the welfare of the people. “People want the State and Central government to function together,” said the Minister.
