All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIADMK, general secretary TTV Dhinakaran was arrested in April, on charges of allegedly trying to bribe the Election Commission officials. Though TTV Dhinakaran had continued to remain deputy general secretary of the AIADMK.
While Dhinakaran was away, there were rumours that, the AIADMK (Amma) faction led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) faction led by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam would merge. However, this rumour was cleared by the strongest opponent to VK Sasikala and Dhinakaran as well as their family commonly dubbed as the ‘Mannargudi clan’, former chief minister O Panneerselvam. In his statement to the reporters on Monday, he said that the AIADMK (Amma) faction “was enacting a drama in the name of holding merger talks (between the two factions). But we are not willing to enact any such drama.”
O Panneerselvam had also at a public meeting on Sunday announced that his party — the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) had decided to disband the committee formed to hold merger talks with the ruling AIADMK (Amma) faction led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
A former propaganda speaker for AIADMK, C R Saraswathi said that V K Sasikala and Dhinakaran have always been a very important part of the party when Amma was there and they will continue to be so. She further added that at least 33 MLAs have met Dhinakaran hoping that he will function as the party leader taking care of all political activities of a unified AIADMK.
Political observers feel the recent developments are paving the way for an emergence of TTV Dhinakaran to take on a prominent role in Tamil Nadu politics.