CHENNAI: With chances of striking a compromise formula looking remote under the prevailing volatile situation, the rebel AIADMK faction has sought the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s response to the conditions laid down by it.
Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, former minister for school education Ma Foi K Pandiarajan resented the AIADMK-Amma leaders’ repeated statements that the doors for talks were open, without initiating any substantive step regarding the elusive merger.
“Their approach seems to be that they will keep all the key positions with them but they are saying that the doors are open. This does not augur well,” he rued.
Pandiarajan’s statement assumes significance as he is said to have shown interest in forging the merger of AIADMK factions that witnessed a split following the dramatic revolt of O Panneerselvam on February 8.
Pushing the ball into the EPS faction court as they were allegedly using the merger issue as a ploy to fend off TTV Dhinakaran’s bouncers, Pandiarajan asked Palaniswami to respond on the two preconditions of removing Sasikala family from party and recommending a probe by a Central agency into the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
“EPS must respond to our demands. Then only we can move forward regarding the merger,” said Pandiarajan, only minister to hop from the official faction before the crucial trust vote.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Member and one of the top honchos of AIADMK-PTA V Maitreyan dismissed the talk of merger as rumours and said there was no question about it.
Accusing EPS government as corrupt, he said that backing such a government would amount to committing injustice to people of the State.
“Edappadi’s government is corrupt. It is not the government formed by Amma. So supporting it amounts to committing injustice to people of TN,” he said in a post in Facebook.
Won’t back corrupt govt: Maitreyan
Rajya Sabha Member and one of the top honchos of AIADMK-PTA V Maitreyan said there was no question about a merger. Accusing EPS government as corrupt, he said that backing such a govt would amount to committing injustice to the people of the State. He said that the aim of the rebels was to form a good govt under the leadership of OPS who was the conscience of Jayalalithaa.