Support to TTV Dinakaran grows, EPS in damage control mode

EPS met MLAs from Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai and five other districts. Though dismissed as a routine meeting, it assumes significance due to the ongoing battle for supremacy in the party with an increasing number of MLAs swearing allegiance to party Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran. 

Commenting on the interaction, Finance Minister D Jayakumar said, “EPS is steering the government in the right course.” Meanwhile, a sizeable number of AIADMK (A) MLAs flocked to TTV Dinakaran’s Adyar residence in the morning. 

MLAs Thanga Tamilselvan, Vetrivel, Kadirkamu, Inbadurai, Mariappan Kennedy, Murugan in addition to Rajan Chelappa, and others met Dinakaran indicating the growing strength of the party’s deputy general secretary. Talking to reporters, VP Kalairajan, a staunch Dinakaran supporter, said, “Dinakaran has the support of 29 MLAs.” 

If Kalairajan’s claim is true, then the fate of the EPS government hangs in the balance. With opposition DMK camp having a total of 98 MLAs and OPS camp going steady with 12 legislators, EPS would have a support of just 94 MLAs to push his government past the stormy assembly session on June 14.