Maitreyan revolt: OPS silence is lull before storm, say insiders

While leaders owing allegiance to CM Edappadi K Palaniswami’s camp spent the whole day denying any rift between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam factions even after the merger, Panneerselvam did not come forward to deny his supporter’s opinion. Besides, none of the leaders who were with him during the split ,are available for comment with the media, strongly indicating the possibility of Maitreyan being the voice of Panneerselvam himself. Even while addressing a joint meeting with Palaniswami in Thoothukudi, Panneerselvam ignored the issue and refrained from the usual unity message to party cadre.

“Maitreyan is speaking with the consent of Panneerselvam and this is the revival of the fight between the two factions,” said MLA Thangathamizhselvan, the propaganda secretary of sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dinarakan’s faction. “An earthquake is about to rock the ruling AIADMK faction,” said another supporter Nanjil Sampath.

Maitreyan himself tweeted on Wednesday that his views are not personal and it is the voice of all the AIADMK cadre, in a rebuttal to Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai who strongly denied any kind of rift in the party. Thambidurai said, the opinion of Maitreyan is his personal one. But, Maitreyan, in an immediate rebuttal of the senior leader’s comments, said, “Thambidurai says this is my personal view. This is not a personal view but that of the cadre.” As if agreeing with Maitreyan’s views none of the followers of Panneerselvam denied Maitreyan’s comment. 

Besides, Thambidurai, Ministers Jayakumar, ‘Kadambur’ Raju, and KP Anbalagan came out with strong denials of rift in the party, but the usually media friendly ‘Mafoi’ K Pandiarajan, the lone minister who sided with Panneerselvam during the split, keeps a distance from the media for the last two days. 

Panneerselvam’s associates are complaining of a raw deal during the merger of the two factions and allege that their leader himself is being sidelined in the administration and party. Even during the MGR centenary function held in Sivaganga last week, the loyalists of Palaniswami welcomed the Chief Minister and totally ignored the deputy Chief Minister, one of the functionaries at Sivaganga said. 

Dinakaran supporters also said Panneerselvam’s supporters are not merely upping the ante for control of the party and government, but they could have received credible signals that the days of Palaniswami government are numbered.