Chennai: With the court verdict on the disqualification of 18 ‘rebel’ legislators loyal to TTV Dhinakaran expected anytime soon, there is palpable tension in the ruling AIADMK. In the other camp of ‘challenger’ TTV too, precautions have been taken as most men were packed off to the safe comfort of a loyalist’s resort in Courtallam deep down south.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam held a protracted brainstorming session with senior colleagues at the party headquarters here on Tuesday to discuss strategy should the High Court fault the Speaker for guillotining the 18 men because they told the Governor they had lost confidence in the CM. Their fear is that the court could hold that these men committed no offence as only violation of party whip inside the legislature attracts punishment under the anti-defection law and not something that happened in the Raj Bhavan.
It could be a huge setback for the government and its stability might come under stress should the court verdict go against the Speaker’s order; but then, the option to appeal to the Supreme Court will be quickly taken.
Same is the case with the TTV camp, which would either celebrate its victory at the high court or prepare its quick appeal to the apex court should the verdict here goes in favour of the Edappadi government. Just to be safe from any ‘poaching’ attempts from the ruling party, TTV has got his men safely tucked away in a resort. Either way, it will be a long drawn-out process that will only see its end in the Supreme Court - perhaps a long time later.
But then, the government is also hit by another crisis - the allegation that its senior minister D Jayakumar fathered an illegitimate child, impregnating a poor woman who had approached him for some help. The minister has stoutly denied the charge and has even accused the TTV camp of engineering the two audio clips containing what his rivals claim to be the mother of the ‘victim’ pleading with him while he advocated abortion.
Jayakumar has threatened to sue those responsible for the ‘creation’ of the ‘fake’ audio clips but TTV’s brigade is determined to fight him to the finish. “We want him to resign and face a probe. There is no other option. We want the Governor to take action”, said P Vetrivel, senior member of the TTV camp, who lost his Perambur Assembly seat due to Speaker’s Dhanapal’s guillotine. He said, “Jayakumar has claimed it’s not his voice in the audio clips, but he has not denied it’s his baby”.
While maintaining that the TTV camp “is in no way involved” in the circulation of the video clips and they are not shielding the ‘victim’ family, Vetrivel told a crowded media gathering in Chennai on Tuesday that more tapes would soon emerge and there could be “two or three more” in the cabinet in similar situations. It sure appears that hard times are ahead for the ruling party seniors.
Leading the TTV brigade at the Papanasam Pushkaram and the ‘rest’ at the Courtallam resort is the tested warhorse Thanga Thamilselvan. His punch line on l’affaire Jayakumar: ‘Why is the Chief Minister keeping mum on this? The minister has denied the charge. Why can’t the CM order a probe and find out the truth?’
