It may be a strange coincidence that on the first anniversary of VK Sasikala getting unanimously elected as the general secretary of the AIADMK, TTV Dhinakaran, her nephew, was sworn in as an independent member of the Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly. It was on December 29, 2016, the general council of the AIADMK met at Chennai and unanimously elected Sasikala as the general secretary of the party following the December 5, 201 demise of J Jayalalithaa.
Then Chief Minister O Panneerselvam accompanied by the Deputy Speaker of the lok Sabha, R Thampi Durai and other leaders including Edappadi Palaniswamy had driven down to Veda Nilayam in Chennai and handed over the resolution of the general council to Sasikala, who accepted the same with tears rolling down her eyes. The incident happened around 12.30 pm.
On December 29, 2017, Dhinakaran was sworn in as a MlA in the legislative Assembly by Speaker P Dhanapal around the same time which is being described as a sweet revenge by the aunt-nephew duo on the Edappadi Palaniswamy-O Panneerselvam combine. The last one year saw Panneerselvam losing his chief ministership, Sasikala getting imprisoned following the apex court upholding the trial court verdict in the Disproportionate Asset case and swearing in of Palaniswamy as Chief Minister. But Palaniswamy joined hands with OPS to ease out Sasikala and Dhinakaran from the party.
The swearing-in of Dhinakaran caused wide resentment in the EPS-OPS camp which on Friday expelled more than 100 loyalists of Sasikala and Dhinakaran from the party.
“let then expel all the MlAs and MPs and other office-bearers of the party. They are all our supporters. Though they are in the EPS-OPS camp, it is only because of their fear that they may lose their membership in the legislative Assembly and Parliament. Though they are physically with the EPS-OPS camp, their heart is here with us,” said Thanga Tamilchelvan, a Dhinakaran loyalist who was disqualified as MlA by the Speaker.
Speaking to reporters at Fort Saint George, Dhinakaran said the countdown has begun for the downfall of the present Government. “It is certain people’s enthusiasm to keep another political party in good humour which resulted in them losing the election. This is the begining of the end of the AIADMK Government,” said Dhinakaran.
The BJP-led National Democratic Allaiance may face problems from the AIADMK in the Rajya Sabha at the time of introducing the Triple Talaq Bill as the AIADMK made it known on Friday that the party would oppose the new legislation that bans Triple Talaq. Anwahar Raja, AIADMK MP, said the Bill banning triple talaq can never be passed in the present format as his party was opposed to certain provisions in it.