AIADMK merger: O Panneerselvam faction wants VK Sasikala, TTV Dinakaran to resign?

Chennai: Amid talks of merger between the O Panneerselvam and E Palaniswami factions of Tamil Nadu’s ruling party – AIADMK – the support for VK Sasikala is apparently thinning and she is under tremendous pressure to resign from her post along with her nephew TTV Dinakar who faces corruption charges.  Meanwhile, the main opposition party DMK has said that the merger between power-mongers – OPS and Sasikala factions – will not last.
In another development, the Delhi Police has put off its visit to Chennai to serve summons to AIADMK chief VK Sasikala’s nephew and party deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran to join the investigation into an alleged attempt to bribe the election commission officials over the party’s ‘two-leaf’ symbol.
Here are the latest updates:-
-AIADMK leaders’ meet onboard INS Chennai still underway, many including D Jayakumar, P Thangamani and CV Shanmugam attending it.
-OPS camp wants VK Sasikala, TTV Dinakaran to resign ahead of proposed AIADMK merger, want Panneerselvam reinstated as Chief Minister.
-O Panneerselvam, who is in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district, is expected to arrive in Chennai this afternoon.
-A team consisting of senior ministers formed by us for the process of merger of two factions. We are brothers from same family: TN minister Sellur Raju.
-I am happy with the merger move: Tamil Nadu Forest Minister C Srinivasan.
-We need to protect the party symbol, so all must come together. This is not a question of the CM post; only of Amma’s legacy: Thambidurai.
-Tamil Nadu people still support Amma’s legacy. AIADMK still has 50 percent vote bank, while the DMK has only 30 percent, says Thambidurai.
-There is no split in the party, only differences in opinion. We are sorting out all issues, says M Thambidurai quoted as saying by News18.
-VK Sasikala is being increasingly isolated as E Palaniswami camp wants her to resign along with nephew Dinakaran who faces corruption charges, claim sources.
-TTV Dinakran is meeting his legal team at his Chennai residence, say reports.
-All MLAs of the VK Sasikala faction are onboard INS Chennai to discuss strategy, say reports.
-TTV Dinakran, facing bribery charges, has reportedly reached his residence in Chennai.
-Sasikala faction of AIADMK has formed a committee to conduct talks on merger, claims O Panneerselvam.
-DMK says merger of ‘power-monger’ OPS, Sasikala factions will not last.
-Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Crime Branch team, which was supposed to leave for Chennai today has postponed the visit.
-EPS camp has reportedly welcomed the merger talks.
Some top ministers of the Edappadi Palaniswami camp had an impromptu meeting around midnight on Monday. D Jayakumar, Finance Minister in the Palaniswami government said after the meeting that the group had discussed the party’s election symbol issue and Panneerselvam’s suggestion at merger.
-Rebel leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam had earlier hinted at fresh efforts at a unified AIADMK, provided that VK Sasikala and TTV Dinakaran resign from their posts.
-On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday there were intense speculations of VK Sasikala resigning from her post as the party chief of AIADMK. This was later denied by Tamil Nadu finance minister, D Jayakumar.
-Delhi Police had arrested Dinakaran’s alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrashekhar with Rs 1.5 crore cash on Monday. The police also seized a BMW and a Mercedes car from him. Dinakaran and Sukesh had allegedly struck a deal of Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK Sasikala faction keep the ‘two leaves’ symbol.
The Midnight AIADMK Merger Drama
Throwing indications of growing dissent against ruling AIADMK chief VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakara, who has been named in a bribery case relating to a tussle over party’s frozen symbol ‘two leaves’, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Jayalalithaa loyalist O Panneerselvam yesterday hinted that he is open for merger.
In a sudden move, some top leaders from AIADMK and TN govt ministers held an emergency meeting, hinting at the merger of two factions of AIADMK – O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala camps.
The OPS faction led by Panneerselvam has reportedly set a condition for merger – VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran should resign from their posts. Reports also claim that a lot of leaders from the Sasikala camp too have lost faith in her leadership and ready for a merger inorder to strengthen the party.