Palaniswami camp questions Sasikala-Dhinakaran authority

In a jolt to Sasikala, a meeting presided over by Chief Minister K Palaniswami today said the appointment of Dhinakaran as deputy general secretary was against party rules as he openly questioned their authority.

This is the first time that the chief minister has made a categorical assertion about the status of Dhinakaran's appointment by his aunt Sasikala on February 14 just ahead of her incarceration.

Formally expelling both Sasikala and Dhinakaran was among the pre-conditions the Panneerselvam camp, which is also holding consultations on the possibility of merger, had made.

The move in both camps is being perceived as coming one step closer to a  merger of the two camps by easing out Sasikala and Dhinakaran.

Noting that Dhinakaran's appointment was also under the scrutiny of the Election Commission, the AIADMK (Amma) led by Palaniswami wondered how Dhinakaran could make new appointments at such a juncture.

On August 4 Dhinakaran had made several appointments including that of his loyalists to various party posts.

Citing it, a communique to the party cadres, said the meeting also asserted that such appointments being done by him "will not bind any AIADMK cadre to create unnecessary confusion in our party and such appointments are not valid under party law. Cadres are requested to reject them."

Significantly, the meeting said "Though Sasikala's appointment as general secretary was till such time the formal election of a new general secretary as per party laws, she could not function in view of extraordinary circumstances," an apparent reference to her getting jailed in the disproportionate assets case in February last.

Also, Sasikala's appointment was challenged and it is pending in the EC, the meeting noted.

Under such circumstances, the party was being run by top functionaries appointed by Amma (a reference to the camp led by Palaniswami), it said.

Top functionaries and senior state cabinet ministers led by Palaniswami attended the meeting