Make Panneerselvam General Secretary, before merger: OPS Faction

“Only if Panneerselvam is made the party general secretary, we will accept the merger of the two factions,” OPS loyalist and former Minister Ma Foi Pandiarajan said. Talking to reporters outside OPS’s home here, he said, “There is no other way.” He also said the AIADMK PTA was ready to force an election to prove its strength within the party and support of the people. Claiming that the party cadre were with them, Pandiarajan said, “We have been asking the government to hold the local body polls. But, it is not ready. If a need arises, we will force an election on them and then prove our strength.”

The AIADMK (PTA) asking OPS to be made the GS was the fresh demand made by the party, though it had earlier demanded a CBI probe into the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and sidelining of the entire Sasikala clan from the Party.

Meanwhile, the political circles were agog with reports that Dinakaran, who had granted time till August 4 for the merger of two factions, would be visiting the Party Headquarters on August 5 and has asked all the district office-bearers to be present.

Though ‘sidelined’ by the ruling AIADMK (Amma) led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, the party broke into three groups. But Dinakaran, who had initially said he would keep away from party affairs and later said on his release from Tihar Jail, that he would continue to be active and lead the party affairs, was expected to discuss on how to strengthen the party and prepare it for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

AIADMK (A) star speaker Nanjil Sampath, when asked about this, said, “People attribute a lot of things to Dinakaran’s keeping away. Some even say that he has escaped to avoid the stigma of his arrest. But, party cadres feel that only he can save the party and so they want him back at the helm of affairs.” “All party cadre want TTV to lead. His earlier plan to tour the state still stands and ‘annan’ (Dinakaran) will announce as to when he will start the tour,” said V Pugazhendi, the party’s Karnataka in-charge. Meanwhile,

AIADMK (A) spokesperson CR Saraswathi said, “We welcome Dinakaran’s return to active politics.

As the general secretary is absent, party cadres will be able to interact with the deputy general secretary, because the party is the base for everything.”