CHENNAI: Even as the heat produced by the appointment of new office bearers by AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran is yet to subside, the Minister for Forests Dindigul C Sreenivaasan and one of the senior-most leaders of the party on Monday alleged that officials in the State government were not extending full cooperation and were in touch with the DMK and other parties.
Speaking at the MGR centenary celebrations at Singaperumalkoil, the leader claimed some officials were not cooperating with the State government. This is in contrast to their behaviour when late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was alive, the minister added. “Officials who are supposed to cooperate with the State government are spreading word that it will not last long. We don’t have the complete cooperation of officials. They act out of fear whether or not this government would survive. The officials, on the one hand, are in contact with the DMK, and on the other, are in touch with other political parties,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister ‘Edappadi’ K Palaniswami reiterated that the two factions of the AIADMK would come together “very soon”. The Chief Minister made this remark while answering queries of mediapersons after admitting 250 DMK men from Athur into the party fold. Responding to a scribe who asked when the unified AIADMK would become a reality, Palaniswami said, “We expect it to happen very soon.” However, he did not add anything more.
At Erode, Thoppu N D Venkatachalam, supporter of Dhinakaran, who has been appointed as one of the organising secretaries of the party, joined issue with Finance Minister D Jayakumar who had questioned the validity of the appointments made by Dhinakaran. “The present party positions enjoyed by K A Sengottaiyan (presidium chairman of the party) and Dindigul C Sreenivasan (treasurer) were given by party general secretary V K Sasikala. She also appointed Dhinakaran as the deputy general secretary. If Jayakumar questions the validity of Dhinakaran’s position in the party, it is clear that he also questions the validity of the positions being held by Sengottaiyan and Sreenivasan.” he added.In yet another development, two of the four MLAs who had rejected the party posts offered by Dhinakaran, changed their minds. While K Kathirkamu of Periyakulam announced his decision on Sunday, A K Bose fell in line on Monday.