AIADMK factions form panels for merger talks

On Friday evening, a communique from the AIADMK (PTA) stated that considering the welfare of the 1.5 crore party cadre and the people of the Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK (PTA) under the leadership of former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had formed a 7-member committee to negotiate a merger. The committee headed by KP Munusamy included C Ponnaiyan, Natham R Viswanathan, Dr V Maithreyan, JCD Prabhakar, K Pandiarajan and Manoj Pandian. 

Earlier, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani after consultations with party functionaries at the Avvai Shanmugam Road party HQ, announced the formation of an 8-member committee under the leadership of MP R Vaithialingam. The members included minsters KA Sengottaiyan, Dindigul C Srinivasan, SP Velumani, P Thangamani, KC Veeramani, D Jayakumar and CV Shanmugam. He also added that AIADMK (PTA) was welcome for the talks at any time at the party HQ on Avvai Shanamugam Road as at least one member of the above-mentioned committee would be available at any time. 

However, Information Minister Kadambur Raju threw a spanner in the works when he stated that TTV Dinakaran continued to be Deputy General Secretary and that he had stepped aside only to facilitate the talks on the merger of both factions. 

On Thursday, AIADMK (PTA) leaders had stated that talks were possible only after AIADMK(A) accepted their key demands which included a CBI inquiry into former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death and the removal of both TTV Dinakaran and his aunt VK Sasikala from the party’s Deputy General Secretary and General Secretary’s posts respectively. With both factions finalising respective committees, an AIADMK reunion is likely to happen soon.