Sasikala exit still key condition for OPS camp

Yet, the much-awaited merger between the factions still remains to happen. 

AIADMK(PTA) leaders claimed that while they welcomed the proposal for a judicial enquiry, the person who made that statement was not from the EPS camp and he was the one who needed to be kept away from party and government. “We are looking for that announcement from the Chief Minister or his senior colleagues,” a leader from the OPS faction said. 

PTA supporter and MP V Maitreyan said, “He has not said anything about Sasikala. If he was serious, then how does one explain the presence of Sasikala’s brother Divakaran on stage at Melur.” “We are firm that a merger will be possible only if the Sasikala clan is ousted from the party and if an inquiry is held into Jayalalithaa’s death,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dinakaran’s statement at his Melur meeting where he indirectly held out a threat to the Chief Minister Palaniswami regime has irked state ministers if their reactions are anything to go by. 

Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan retorted that we are ready for the battle. When a reference was made to 20 MLAs being present on stage at the Dinakaran meeting, he pointed out that EPS had the support of 115 MLAs and that if it came to the crunch, he needed 2 more MLAs (117 MLAs to show majority) would come from somewhere. “That is politics and that is what being Chanakya is all about” he added. 

Finance Minister D Jayakumar reiterated that only EPS-led government was Jayalalithaa’s government. “Jayalalithaa had wanted the government to continue till 2021. Her dream was for her government to continue for a 100 years” he added. “Hence, whoever acts against the government (an obvious reference to threats to destabilise the government) will go down in history as Ettappan (traitor),” he said.

Asked about BJP trying to mollycoddle both AIADMK factions, School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan said, “It is true that BJP wants Jayalalithaa rule to continue in Tamil Nadu. But they do not advise the two factions on any issue.”