Chennai: The dark clouds of spite and suspicion are dispersing, at last, as the leaders of both the rival factions of the AIADMK on Tuesday smiled warmly while announcing before the anxious TV cameras that the environment is now conducive to begin their merger talks. They had been bitterly squabbling over ‘long-settled’ issues, but now it appears that their mutual rancour has disappeared.
Insiders say the Delhi developments over the Election Commission case against party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran has influenced the ‘change of heart’ in the camp of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy; the crime branch grilling of the party’s prince could have sobered the few belligerent lieutenants into seeing the writing on the wall. Their spokesman R. Vaithilingam, MP, demonstrated the change of heart telling reporters that chances “are now bright” for the merger of the two factions.
“Everyone wants the two groups to merge, and that will happen”, he said. He had sung a different tune less than 24 hours ago, arguing that the OPS camp was obstructing patch-up by asking for ejection of the Sasikala clan from the party and a CBI probe into Jayalalithaa’s treatment and death. ‘Laying pre-conditions will block negotiations’, Vaithilingam had said. About 30 minutes later, OPS was all smiles telling media persons, who stuck TV mikes into his open car window, that the circumstances have improved for merger talks. “We are now speaking to each other. A good situation has evolved, so we are now speaking”, he said.
The ‘good situation’ and ‘suitable environment’, says insiders, was inspired by the developments in Delhi, where Dhinakaran’s grilling by the Crime Branch police is said to be nearing ‘climax’. Actually, the climax happened in the special court hearing the police request for extension of custody of conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, when Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry demanded to know why the cops had not taken action against Dhinakaran though they have been keeping Sukesh in custody since April 17.
The judge also wanted to see Sukesh’s call details to check his contacting TTV. Responding, the police told the judge: “Dhinakaran has equal role and when he will be arrested, we will bring him before this court. It is a sensitive case and several stakeholders will be arrested…”
The ‘climax’ hit hard the hardliners in the Edappadi camp, who have been trying their best to look brave before the TV cameras delivering high-rhetoric retorts to OPS campers’ repeated demands for expulsion of the Sasikala clan before the merger talks can begin. The softer elements in the group have been telling the OPS camp not to insist on dumping Chinnamma as she was not keeping well in the Bengaluru prison.
If ejecting her has been unthinkable so far, these Delhi developments are making it a bit too hot for them to keep her massive posters and banners up there on the party headquarters walls. Rubbing salt into their bruised loyalties, OPS’ presidium chairman E. Madhusoodanan demanded that those banners be pulled down. The depressed mood among the Chinnamma loyalists was evident when reporters tried to stop minister Dindigul Srinivasan for reaction to Madhusoodanan’s demand. “You go and ask him”, he snapped before driving away.
