CHENNAI: Bolstered by one more MLA joining his camp, AIADMK rebel T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Friday asserted that the entire party leadership barring Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, his deputy O. Panneerselvam and four cabinet colleagues would join him very soon leading to the collapse of the government.
Dhinakaran, who won the R K Nagar by-election last year by a huge margin, said he favoured facing elections to install “Amma's Government” since the EPS-OPS combine have “floundered” the mandate people gave to late J Jayalalithaa.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai and later in Madurai after Kallakurichi MLA Prabhu jumped the ship, Dhinakaran said the AIADMK government would fall on the floor of the House as and when a trust vote or no confidence motion takes place.
Commenting on OPS' recent remarks that he merged his faction with that of EPS only on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhinakaran said “cold war” between EPS and OPS is at the peak and the “outburst” by Panneerselvam was fuelled by his ambitions to get the Chief Minister's chair yet again.
“Prabhu (Kallakurichi MLA) has been in touch with me ever since this government was formed. Even when he had problems in executing projects in his constituency, I had intervened and ensured that people of his constituency benefited. I never pressurised him to come and today he is here on his own,” Dhinakaran said.
On his part, Prabhu told reporters that he joined Dhinakaran since “cadres and people” are behind him. “Only Chinamma (Sasikala) and Dhinakaran can lead the AIADMK; my heart was always here. I had so many problems in the AIADMK and despite being in the ruling party, I was not able to do good to people (due to intra-party rivalry),” he said.
Harping onto his “sleeper cells”, Dhinakaran said Prabhu was never a “sleeper cell” and said members of the “secret cell” will get activated only when the trust vote takes place. “Sleeper cells have specific instructions and they will come out during voting. This government will fall on its own,” he said.
“Except six people - EPS, OPS and four ministers - almost all leaders will come to us. It is just a matter of time. Already 90 per cent of the cadres are with us. And EPS-OPS are only doing me a favour by sacking my supporters from the AIADMK. It is making my job easier,” Dhinakaran said.
He also said he was hopeful of fresh elections since the government would fall very soon, but said he would go by the cadre and the leaders on whether there should be change of guard. “I prefer fresh elections and I strongly feel that is how we can install Amma's government. But if all the MLAs come together and push for a new chief minister, we will consider. But I will not be in the race to be CM. I will continue to be MLA. But I think there will be fresh elections,” Dhinakaran said.
The R K Nagar MLA also welcomed the resolutions passed at the all-party meeting on Thursday and said the Tamil Nadu Government should ensure that its rights are not compromised with when it comes to Cauvery river water issue.
TTV brainwashed MLA: Min
Revenue Minister R B Uthayakumar on Friday alleged that Kallakurichi MLA Prabhu was “brainwashed” by rebel leader T T V Dhinakaran to jump the ship from EPS-OPS side.
“Prabhu was brainwashed by TTV Dhinakaran. I am hopeful Prabhu will see reason and come back to us,” Uthayakumar said, adding that Dhinakaran was trying to destabilise the government and that his efforts will never fructify.
Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar downplayed the crossover by Prabhu saying he went to Dhinakaran for “personal reasons.”
Asked whether Prabhu was TTV's sleeper cell, Jayakumar said no sleeper cell of Dhinakaran was present in their camp.
“TTV does not know that we have sleeper cells in their camp,” Jayakumar said, without elaborating.
