Ruling AIADMK camp junks Dinakaran's merger deal

Senior party leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said "it will not happen," to a question by reporters on Dinakaran's offer for a truce.

RK Nagar MLA and rival leader Dinakaran said yesterday that he was inclined for a truce with ruling Palaniswami and Panneerselvam-led party.

Speaking to reporters at Kathiramangalam in Thanjavur district during his ongoing tour to reach out to people, he had said he was not interested in becoming Chief Minister and came up instead with two conditions for a merger.

He wanted removal of six Ministers ('betrayers') from the Cabinet and one of his 18 disqualified MLAs be appointed Chief Minister. Dinakaran however did not name the 'betrayers'.

Jayakumar said Dinakaran was indulging in mere 'tall talk. Using a cinematic expression, he said the rival leader's present situation is "he is laughing even while weeping.... this is his situation."

The Minister took potshots at Dinakaran saying he has "joined DMK Working President MK Stalin, which has impacted him."

That was why he came up a 'films screen writing style demand' for removal of six ministers and appointment of one of his disqualified loyalist MLAs as Chief Minister, he said.

"It is not possible practically and there is no room now to consider it," Jayakumar said.

Diehard Panneerselvam loyalist and former Minister KP Munusamy sought to know the relation between Dinakaran and the party and charged the media with "making him appear big."

Munusamy, who wielded considerable clout when he was a Minister during the previous Jayalalithaa regime (2011-16), said "he (Dinakaran) is an expert in political deception."