Ruling party uncertain over ties with Sasikala’s brother

The demands are at variance with Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar’s affirmation that none of the relatives of Sasikala would be admitted into the AIADMK, when he answered a specific question if Dhivakaran would join the AIADMK. 

However, voices within the party are growing to admit Dhivakaran into the AIADMK or have a relationship with him. But, it is not known whether the estranged uncle of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief would bring additional MLAs to the ruling party. 

When the Ministers revolted against Sasikala’s family, Dhivakaran had openly claimed that he had the support of 40 AIADMK legislators including two Ministers. But, none of them came out against Edappadi K Palaniswami government leading to questions if Dhivakaran had asked his supporters to back Palaniswami government or he had lost their support. 

In a conflicting response to Jayakumar, the party’s deputy coordinator and former minister Vaithilingam said, “The general council or executive committee alone could take a decision on admitting Dhivakaran into the party,” hinting that Jayakumar’s opinion is not the opinion of everyone in the party. It is said senior minister SP Velumani, a close associate of Chief Minister Palaniswami too is of the same opinion.  

Dhivakaran would lose all his hold with the party if the present Assembly is dissolved since he could not expect Dhinakaran to provide party tickets to his supporters including his son in the next Assembly polls. After the war of words with his nephew’s supporter P Vetrivel, Dhivakaran admitted that he was supporting the Palaniswami-led government all along.