Verdict on Sasikala as General Secretary today

On Monday, Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran called for an executive committee meeting at the party office on Avvai Shanmugam Road, to which around 100 members including district secretaries and special invitees were invited. 

While Dinakaran is consulting legal experts to ensure his relative’s continued stay in power, some district secretaries who spoke to this reporter said, “We are unsure of what this could lead to as we there are rumours of another Koovathur like situation developing.” 

MLAs supporting Sasikala already face stiff opposition in their constituencies for their role, say observers. “Even HR & CE minister Sevoor S Ramachandran was requested by his family to stay at home, instead of going against popular opinion as it would affect his political future” said a person close to his family. 

If the verdict goes against Sasikala, all the appointments and terminations she ordered become invalid and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and all who were dismissed from the party’s primary membership will come back to their old positions, while present Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran will be removed from his post. Meanwhile, OPS continued to meet party cadres from various districts on Monday and assured them that victory would be theirs. Political pundits say that if victory goes the OPS way, then there might be a swing in favour of the OPS camp among the cat-on-the-wall party functionaries, who are following a wait and watch policy. 

“In such a situation, MAD Peravai secretary Deepa Jayakumar’s claim to retrieve the two leaves symbol will also not be valid as she is not a card carrying AIADMK member” says J Jennifer, a long time party acolyte from Vellore.