CHENNAI: A couple of ministers in Tamil Nadu have revolted against AIADMK Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran's leadership following a tax raid on one of his henchmen, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar. Over 20 senior party functionaries, including 12 ministers, called upon Dinakaran at his residence in Chennai asking him and general secretary Sasikala who is currently serving jail term, to step down and make way for the O Panneerselvam group.
They told Dinakaran that this would be the only way to reclaim the frozen “two leaves” symbol of the AIADMK, otherwise they will be playing into the hands of the Opposition which hopes the Edappadi government falls leading to mid-term polls, they said. The rebels conveyed that OPS, given his brief stints as chief minister, has several supporters in the party and mass appeal. Dinakaran was told that the former CM has the capacity to carry everyone along with him, unlike him or Sasi, and proposed that the party after re-unification, can be run by a politburo. OPS could be the CM and Edappadi, his deputy.
However, reports are that Dinakaran turned down the 'request' and said he was willing to weather the storm. Along with tax raids and a slew of cases filed against other ministers, Dinakaran himself is facing two criminal cases regarding FERA violation. They will be heard on a day-to-day basis by an economic offences court in the city. The party deputy general secretary, however, dismissed the dissidence talk, calling it media inspired and said that the senior ministers were with him for consultation.
The IT raids have proved severely damaging to the AIADMK, with it leading to the cancellation of the RK Nagar by-elections. A total of £500,000 was seized from Vijayabhaskar, personal assistants and chancellor of the MGR Medical University Geethalakshmi.
Dhinakaran booked on bribery charge
Police sources said that Dhinakaran has been booked for allegedly trying to bribe the Election Commission for obtaining the party symbol for his faction. The development comes after the arrest of an alleged middleman from a five star hotel in South Delhi. Dhinakaran’s name cropped up after the arrest of alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar from a hotel on Sunday night. He approached Dhinakaran and assured him that he could get the frozen two leaves symbol for his faction. Police said they recovered £130,000, which he was planning to use to bribe Election Commission officials.
