After his release from Tihar Jail on bail, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran on Monday met party chief VK Sasikala, who is imprisoned at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on the outskirts of Bengaluru. His meeting with Sasikala assumes political significance as the warring factions within the Tamil Nadu ruling party is talking about coming together to isolate both of them.
This is his first meeting with Sasikala since his release. He came to the prison with family members, 12 MlAs and one MP of the party.
The prison authorities allowed only four persons to meet Sasikala. According to sources, Sasikala and Dinakaran discussed for over an hour political developments that were taking place both in Tamil Nadu and the Centre.
Sasikala, co-accused Ellavarasi and her nephew VN Sudhakaran are lodged in the prison since February 15. They had surrendered in the trial court here following their conviction by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case, in which former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalitha was also an accused.
A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Dinakaran and his aide Mallikarjun over allegedly bribing the Election Commission officials for getting the party’s two leaves symbol for his faction. The Tis Hazari court granted bail to the duo on personal bond of Rs 5 lakh, however, they were asked to surrender their passports.
In a high political drama after the death of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala appointed Dinakaran, her nephew, as her deputy before she went to jail to serve a four-year sentence for corruption.
Dinakaran was ousted and sidelined by the party as it attempted a reunion with a rebel faction led by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam whose main condition for the merger was that Sasikala and her family be kept away from the party and the Government.
Dinakaran and his aide Mallikarjuna were arrested in April by the Delhi crime branch police. The duo was charged with attempting to bribe the Election Commission officials in the AIADMK symbol row to gain a favourable verdict.