The both factions of the AIADMK led by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his predecessor O Panneerselvam are busy working out the modalities of the unification process with the latter claiming on Sunday that the talks on merger have moved a step forward and a “good” decision would be reached shortly.
Party sources indicated that there may be a meeting at the party headquarters on Monday where decisions could be made by the Palaniswami camp on the question of the “formal expulsion” of VK Sasikala. Also, Monday being considered auspicious in the wake of it being ‘Amavasya,’ there is a chance of the merger deal getting sealed, the sources said.
“I had informed that the merger talks are already progressing smoothly. It has progressed one more step...A good decision will be attained shortly as desired by you,” Panneerselvam told reporters after a meeting with his party functionaries.
While AIADMK leaders were engaged in many marathon meetings and tortuous negotiations over the past few days for merger of two factions of the party, Rajinikant, Tamil cinema’s superstar who had declared his intentions to launch a political party, got down to business on Sunday by convening a meeting of his fans and well-wishers at Tiruchirappalli.
Though the superstar, popularly known as Thalaiva, was not present during the meeting attended by hundreds of his fans and followers from across Tamil Nadu, what stood out was the presence of Tamilaruvi Manian, convenor, Gandhiya Makkal Aiyakkam, who guided and supervised the proceedings of the conclave.
“This is a meeting convened by GMA for an interaction with the fans of Rajnikant where we would have an exchange of ideas on why Thalaiva should come to politics and what compels him,” Manian told The Pioneer. Manian is a widely respected political commentator in Tamil Nadu and he was once a leading light of the Tamil Nadu State Congress Committee before walking out of the party in disgust.
Manian shot into national fame when he played the role of mid-wife during the formation of the National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu for the 2014 lok Sabha election.
Though the experiment did not yield the expected result, the fact that the NDA polled 18.5 per cent did not go unnoticed. But after the 204 lok Sabha election Manian and the BJP leadership fell out.
“There is enough potential and possibility for a Third alternative in Tamil Nadu. Rajnikant with his charisma and simplicity is the ideal person to fill the bill,” said Manian. He also disclosed that Rajnikant had opened his heart about the kind of politics he visualises.
Manian also said that Rajnikant wants transparency in governance and simplicity and humbleness. “Over the last five decades, Tamil Nadu saw the degeneration of the quality of political discourse. Rajnikant wants to bring back the heydays of honesty and transparency,” said Manian.
The Gandhian also said that the Tiruchi conference would elicit the expectations and hopes from the fans and followers of Rajnikant. “We will ask them about their expectations from Rajnikant and the kind of politics which they prefer Tamil Nadu to excel,” said Manian.
Interestingly, it is Manian and the BJP state leadership which welcomed the entry of Rajnikant into politics. All others sounded cynical on hearing the possibility of the super star’s entry into politics. Manian is of the view that a combination of Rajnikant and the BJP has the potential to emerge as the new alliance Tamil Nadu is waiting for. “Rajnikant has the potential to emerge as Tamil Nadus’s chief ministerial candidate. For that to happen, we have to proceed still further,” he said.
Meanwhile, party deputy general secretary Dhinakaran held discussions with his supporters in Chennai in the backdrop of expectations that the merger may fructify on Monday.
Emerging from the meeting, Dhinakaran’s confidant Nanjil Sampath hit out at Panneerselvam for enacting a “drama” of talks with the Palaniswami camp.
“Whatever decision they (camps led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam) take, Dhinakaran has the ability to put a full stop to it and we will prove it in the coming days,” he said.
However, Panneerselvam, who had earlier participated in gatherings held by party functionaries in Tirunelveli and nearby regions, told reporters on his arrival at Chennai, that “our lofty goal in effecting the merger will be to see that the party does not get entangled in the clutches of a family,” apparently targeting party chief VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran.
The rebel leader further said that “our goal will succeed” and that “this party will be of the cadres, and it will be safeguarded.”
Yesterday, Panneerselvam had said that talks on the merger were going on smoothly and a positive result was expected in a “day or two”. Palaniswami too had said he was confident that “both the factions would merge soon”.