Team O Panneerselvam goes into a huddle, major churning on in both groups

Sources in the OPS camp on Sunday reaffirmed that there is no possibility of a merger as long as TTV Dinakaran remains at the helm. 

A former senior minister in OPS camp, who was a part of Sunday’s consultation, admitted that they had discussed the unrest in AIADMK (Amma) camp and the feelers received from leaders there, especially Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai, who has largely kept himself out of media reach. 

Sources in AIADMK (A) camp said there is a good chance of Dinakaran leaving the city for Bengaluru to meet Sasikala on Monday. However, it would be decided based on the outcome of Sunday’s meeting at OPS residence and the impact it has on his camp, particularly the detractors, who want him and Vijaya Baskar to relinquish their posts. 

AIADMK (A) leaders, including Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and two other ministers from Kongu region, who are up in arms against Dinakaran, were understood to have proposed a government headed by EPS and the party under OPS, eliminating the influence of the entire Sasikala clan.

However, it did not discourage a former minister moderating the peace talks from suggesting that it is Divakaran, another kin of Sasikala, who has been pulling the strings against Dinakaran from behind in conformity with the schemes proposed by the leaders of the two AIADMK groups. Meanwhile, former AIADMK MP KC Palanisamy has moved the Election Commission for an urgent settlement of the issue of nomination of Sasikala as the party’s general secretary. In his three-page letter sent to the EC, the MP has claimed that the “ugly incidents” which took place during the by election to R K Nagar would not have arisen had the validity of Sasikala’s post been decided. 

Interestingly, another MLA T Malaravan has now joined hands with OPS.