Chennai/Madurai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s camp on Saturday hit back at TTV Dhinakaran questioning his authority in making appointments to party posts when his own title as ‘deputy general secretary’ was in question since the Election Commission is yet to clear the appointment of his aunt V. K. Sasikala as the AIADMK general secretary. She had announced him as deputy general secretary with powers to take all party decisions just before leaving for Bengaluru to begin her jail term after the Supreme Court sentence in the disproportionate assets case.
“When the issue of Sasikala as general secretary is itself a question mark, these appointments (made by Dhinakaran) will also be question marks”, said Finance Minister D. Jayakumar. “It amounts to making a mockery of the process of making appointments to party posts and it will create confusion,” he told reporters at Chennai.
Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar, who was the first to hail Sasikala’s leadership post-Jayalalithaa, now said Dhinakaran had no authority making these appointments. His action only reflected his ‘failure’ in securing the cooperation and support of the party functionaries, who were already functioning efficiently, said the minister, insisting, “None approves these appointments”.
Seated next to him the Madurai media meet was legislator A K Bose, who had been named by TTV on Friday as joint secretary of agriculture wing.
Two other MLAs in the TTV list of 60 also turned down his posts. K. Palani (Sriperumbudur) and Sathya Panneerselvam (Panruti) were named joint secretaries of party forum 'Amma Peravai,' and women's wing, respectively. "I am happy to function under Annan EPS leadership. The CM has done many good things for my constituency. I did not seek any post from TTV", said Sathya, while Palani said he was "quite happy being a MLA under CM".
Defending the appointments, Dhinakaran loyalist and former Minister P Palaniappan, who was named organising secretary, said, "We spoke with legislators Palani and Sathya Panneerselvam and took their concurrence. Their change in stand is regrettable."
Insisting that TTV had no authority in making party appointments, former minister K. P. Munusamy of the OPS faction said Dhinakaran "is an outsider" who had been expelled from the party by Jayalalithaa.
Seeking to reassert his authority in the AIADMK, Dhinakaran had on Friday named several of his loyalists as office-bearers in the party, keeping his 'threat' he would undertake drastic measures to reunite and strengthen the part after August 5. After his two-month hiatus, he has now also announced state-wide tour from August 14.
Periyakulam MLA refuses to accept post offered by TTV
Periyakulam MLA K Kathirkamu on Saturday refused to accept the joint secretary, health wing post offered by TTV Dhinakaran.
Speaking told reporters the MLA said that he would continue to serve the people in his constituency by implementing welfare measures introduced by the Chief Minister Eappadi K Palaniswami.
