AIADMK factions’ war of words creates rumblings in Edappadi Palanisamy camp

What started the ball rolling was the faction’s spokesperson Nanjil Sampath’s repeated claims, after the arrest of the deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran, that the latter enjoyed the support of 87 MLAs. This surprised the legislators as till then it was assumed that all the 122 MLAs rallied behind Palanisamy. 

Closely on the heels of it, Aravakurichi MLA Senthil Balaji went on a warpath against the government on the proposed medical college hospital for Karur. He said that his efforts to realise the project proposed by late CM J Jayalalithaa was being stymied by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and Transport Minister MR Vijayabaskar. 

Lack of concrete action against Senthil Balaji emboldened Sulur MLA R Kanagaraj to state that the former chief minister O Panneerselvam group’s two demands were quite legitimate and that the 122 MLAs, who were in Koovathur before the confidence vote, were treated like slaves.

Not to lag behind, Tirupur (South) MLA S Gunasekaran threatened to boycott the Assembly proceedings, if no action was taken on his demands for the constituency.

“It is only the hope that they will get plum postings keeps the flock together. But EPS knows that if at all another confidence motion shall be taken up against him, it will be possible only after six months from the last such exercise. Till then he will not be inclined to give posts to others and indirectly strengthen the rivals in the party,” reasoned the former MLA. 

Just when the legislators were settling to this fact, OPS group leader and MP V Maitreyan let the cat among the pigeons by stating that the Assembly polls might precede the local body polls which was ordered by the court to be held before the end of July. 

Though this started a war of words between Maitreyan and Finance Minister D Jayakumar, the former ultimately gained the upper hand when he stated on twitter that Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar’s friend Subramanian, who committed suicide, had his offices raided by the Income Tax department. This has made many MLAs jittery not knowing on whom the axe would fall next. But insiders understand this to be rival’s way of keeping the pressure on the ruling dispensation.