Chennai: Embattled deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran appeared to flex his muscle harder getting his 32 loyalist legislators to pressure Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday to request him to return from exile and lead the AIADMK, or else they would all vote against the party’s choice in the Presidential election.
The TTV loyalists wanted the CM to invite their leader to preside over all the party functions, including the MGR centenary celebrations planned at all district headquarters. More importantly, TTV should be on the dais in prominent status alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the party holds the MGR centenary finale at Chennai, they told the CM at his chamber in the Secretariat early evening.
Their third demand is even more significant. They wanted the CM to announce that TTV would preside over the party’s Iftar party during this Ramzan month—continuing the tradition set by late leaders MGR and Jayalalithaa leading the AIADMK’s Iftar party.
In short, the TTV team wanted the CM to rescind the banishment on TTV, announced by his senior ministers on April 18, and acknowledge him as the party’s supreme leader as a full-fledged deputy general secretary.
The CM heard them out patiently and counseled restraint while assuring he would consult party functionaries and decide. “The CM knows these 32 votes mean little or nothing in the Presidential election. He is only being diplomatic and decent, rather than ticking them off straightaway”, said a party senior requesting anonymity.
Soon after his meeting with the TTV legislators, CM Palaniswami drove to party headquarters in Royapettah and held an emergency meeting with ministerial colleagues and the party office-bearers. Mediapersons drew near-blank from the party seniors who participated in the 90-minute session. They discussed arrangements for MGR centenary and filing of affidavits before the Election Commission in the two-leaves symbol case, for which Friday is the last date, said ministers D. Jayakumar and R.Vaithilingam before rushing off. They did not respond to the queries whether the demands of the TTV loyalists were discussed at the meeting.
Sources said the TTV camp wants the CM to not just roll out the red carpet for his coronation but also sack the three ministers — Jayakumar, P. Thangamani and S.P. Velumani.
