There is a major political crisis in Tamil Nadu as the ruling AIADMK (Amma) faction is experiencing dissidence, rebellion and dissatisfaction. By Wednesday noon, it was “officially” announced by Thankatamizhchelvan, a dissident MlA owing allegiance to the Sasikala family that 30 MlAs have expressed their solidarity with TTV Dinakaran, the deputy general secretary of the party and nephew of jailed Sasikala.
This means that Edappady K Palaniswamy, the Chief Minister, who enjoyed the support of 122 MlAs, is left with just 92 MlAs. But political observers, who have no love lost for the AIADMK, are of the view that there is no immediate threat to the Government.
“Till the Presidential election is over, there is no possibility of this Government facing any threat. Once the Presidential elections are over, we can see some fireworks,” said a political commentator.
He pointed out that majority of the AIADMK MlAs do not want a snap poll to the Assembly since they know well that most of them would bite the dust in the eventuality of an election. But the Assembly is meeting for almost a month from June 14 to meet the demand of grants by various departments and the session is expected to generate a lot of heat and dust due to the internal wrangling in the AIADMK.
All the 30 MlAs want Dinakaran to continue as the deputy general secretary and rule the AIADMK,including the Chief Minister. But neither Edappady Palaniswamy nor other senior members in his Council of Ministers have bothered to call on Dinakaran since the latter’s return to Chennai from New Delhi where he was in Tihar Jail in connection with the case of attempting to bribe the Election Commission of India officials for getting the ‘Two leaves’ symbol allotted to his faction of the party. Dinakaran was in jail for 40 days since his arrest on April 25 by the Delhi Police and was released on bail only
last week.
K Jayakumar, Finance Minister and close confidante of Chief Minister had made it known on Monday that Dinakaran and Sasikala should stay away from the party leadership. The Edappadi faction of the AIADMK (Amma) had declared in April that the aunt-nephew duo would be kept away from the party’s affairs as both are implicated in criminal cases.
Sasikala, the general secretary of the party is serving a four-year jail term as she was convicted by the special court in Bangalore in the disproportionate wealth case.
Palaniswamy needs the support of 118 members in the House which has a total strength of 234. The vacancy arising out of the passing away of Jayalalithaa in December 5, 2016 has not been filled which has brought the number of AIADMK MlAs to 122. The Government is continuing in office with a wafer thin majority as the O Panneerselvam faction had walked out of the party with 12 MlAs.
A recharged MK Stalin, the leader of the Opposition and working president of the DMK declared on Wednesday that Assembly election is imminent in Tamil Nadu. “In one year, the people saw three Chief Ministers in the State. They are in for more dramas as the administration has come to a halt. There is no Government worth its name in Tamil Nadu," Stalin told a public meeting at Erode.