Edappadi K Palaniswami turns weakness into strength on dissent

“I have no qualms about dissolving the government. I have been a low-key leader and the meteoric rise has not changed me. My only agenda is to complete the term and to romp back to power for the next term,” the Chief Minister had told the dissenting legislators, according to reliable party sources. 

The development comes at a time when the Chief Minister is cementing his position in the party and the government. He has also recently asserted the present government as ‘his’ government when the issue of Andhra Pradesh constructing check dams over Palar river was brought up in the Assembly. 

Palaniswami would otherwise refer the government as this government or Jaya’s government while the term ‘my government’ was used only by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Terming the measures taken by the Chief Minister as an effective way of tackling disgruntled MLAs, political analyst Ravindran Doraisamy said, “It was evident that EPS would not yield to any extraneous pressure and budge. He has been looking to take over the party reins too.” 

Though legislators from O Panneerselvam’s faction are not pressing for any individual demands other than the merger issue, the second lot – staunch loyalists of the ruling party’s deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran are demanding. Finance Minister D Jayakumar, when contacted, said that all the 123 legislators, who supported EPS, have no intention of going against him. 

“There is consensus in holding this term and charting the party’s course. There is no second opinion. Everyone in the party will extend cooperation in this regard,” he said. As for the meeting of the legislators, Jayakumar maintained that Chief Minister Palaniswami has been democratic in giving a patient hearing to the legislators, who want to raise various ‘issues’ pertaining to their constituency among other things. 

Speculation is rife that indirect moves are on for a merger of the two groups in the ruling party. It gained significance with AIADMK (PTA) leader and former minister K Pandiarajan informing a private TV channel that if both the factions did not merge in a month’s time, it bodes ill for the party. AIADMK (A) sources also indicated that deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran’s relative VN Sudhagaran was involved in talking directly to O Panneerselvam faction on behalf of the rival group and that an important announcement could be expected soon. However, OPS supporter and MP Dr V Maitreyan pooh-poohed it and said no such interaction, either directly or indirectly, had taken place. When asked whether Dinakaran has been sidelined in the party, Maitreyan said, “If it is so, then why do they not come out and openly state that TTV has been sidelined. It is an intra-faction matter, which they have to resolve first if they are serious about a merger.” Reacting to it, Pandiarajan wondered why AIADMK (A) was still submitting affidavits to the Election Commission with Dinakaran as the deputy general secretary if it is true that he and his relatives were totally sidelined?