CHENNAI: The two factions of AIADMK have merged, but the big outcome that the cadre are expecting – resolving the disputes pending before the Election Commission (EC) on the retrieval of the Two Leaves symbol and taking a call on the validity of the appointment of V K Sasikala as the interim general secretary – may take some more time since ousted deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran is bent on playing spoilsport.
On the day a five-member team of unified AIADMK reached Delhi, reportedly to file an additional affidavit before EC on the merger, the Dhinakaran faction filed a petition before the commission stating that any decision on the pending disputes should be taken only after hearing their views also since their leader Sasikala was the respondent in the disputes.
However, a Rajya Sabha member V Maitreyan, who was part of the team from the party, told mediapersons that they would not move the commission for the next two days. They were holding discussions with legal experts on how to go forward regarding the disputes pending before EC, he added.
Meanwhile, in Puducherry, Thanga Thamizhselvan MLA, who is leading the MLAs loyal to Dhinakaran accommodated there, said the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol would come to the faction because the general secretary and the deputy general secretary as per the affidavits belonged to their faction.
However, Saidai S Duraiswamy, one of the founding members of AIADMK, who broke his silence after months, said there was no provision to appoint an interim general secretary, adding that Sasikala’s appointment to that post was violative of party bylaws.
Delegation meets Nirmala, Jaitley
Tamil Nadu ministers P Thangamani, D Jayakumar and CVe Shanmugam called on Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Arun Jaitley on Tuesday and held discussions with them.
Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, M Thambidurai, accompanied them.
Answering newspersons queries, Jayakumar and Thambidurai said the meetings were official and political issues were not discussed.