MLA Jakkaiyan quits TTV Dinakaran camp, crosses to EPS faction

He justified it as an act to prevent the DMK from gaining popularity in its demand to replace Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Jakkaiyan said that he hoped that more of his friends from TTV camp make similar decisions. He also said that he was not forced to change sides. Following a meeting with Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, Jakkaiyan said that he made his necessary submissions before him and informed him about the letter stating his support to EPS. The legislator added that he had chosen to support EPS and wanted the current government to continue with its tenure.

On switching sides, Jakkaiyan said, “I sided with Dinakaran for the sake of party, and was acting in tandem with him. When the MLAs were discussing writing to the Governor about withdrawing their support from the CM, I suggested they should rather have a word with Palaniswami. But in the end, we decided to write to the Governor individually.” “The subsequent events in the past few days indicated that the intraparty feud might help the DMK capitalise”, he said. “Though there could be dissent in democracy, you need a working majority for the government to function. I want to be part of the efforts to sustain this government and not to become a tool to favour the DMK at any cost,” Jakkaiyan said.

About the corruption charges levelled against the ruling faction in his letter to the Governor, the Cumbum MLA downplayed it by claiming that their opinions were subject to change and linked to their necessities and circumstances. “It has changed now. I want this government led by EPS to continue, and I will be a part of it,” he said.

The DMK ally and MLA (Kadayanallur) KAM Muhammed Abubacker on Thursday urged Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to order a floor test to prevent horse-trading among legislators. “Switching sides to the ruling faction by an MLA even as he had already withdrawn support to the Chief Minister adds credence to our horse-trading charge,” the lone IUML legislator said.

“Our alliance led by the DMK will further request the Governor to direct the government to prove its majority. The contention here is about having at least a working majority to run the government. When 19 legislators from the ruling party have withdrawn their support, it is common knowledge that the government is reduced to a minority. Delaying the floor test will only worsen the governance”, he said.