As OPS sends out feelers, Dhinakaran says Two Leaves must for poll win

As the tussle for AIADMK leadership continues, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is reportedly trying to cosy up to VK Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran. Incidentally, Panneerselvam, or OPS, once launched a “dharmayudham” to keep Sasikala and her family out of the party.

The now-expelled former party coordinator, who heads a small faction within the AIADMK, hopes to consolidate late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s loyalists to unify the AIADMK factions. His aim is to force another former Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami, to accept dual leadership within the party. Palaniswami heads the dominant faction.

However, Panneerselvam’s arch rival Palaniswami seems to have closed all avenues for a reconciliation. He insists that Panneerselvam, who left the party dysfunctional, and his few supporters have no place in the AIADMK.

Watch: Former OPS camp insider on AIADMK’s disintegration

Recently, Palaniswami, who is the interim general secretary of the AIADMK, said the party would not take back Dhinakaran and Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala (former interim general-secretary).

OPS tests waters

Looking to test waters, Panneerselvam on Friday expressed his desire to meet Dhinakaran to unite all AIADMK factions. “If there’s an opportunity to meet Dhinakaran, I would meet him,” Panneerselvam said.

However, Dhinakaran, general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), said, “Without the Two Leaves symbol, the AIADMK is nothing, and it will not be in a position to take on the ruling DMK in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.” Not only party cadres, but the public would also back the leader retaining this symbol, he claimed.

“The AIADMK is dysfunctional now. If a by-election approaches, the party will not be able to authorise aspiring candidates to contest on the Two Leaves symbol. We have already seen it in the recent civic polls,” Dhinakaran argued.

Also read: Ascent of EPS in AIADMK and BJP’s wait-and-watch games

He also claimed that Palaniswami was harping on a mega alliance because the AIADMK is leaderless and dysfunctional. He urged Amma’s (Jayalalithaa’s) followers to unite to defeat the DMK. “Those who believe themselves to be Amma’s true followers should come together to form an alliance and dislodge the ruling DMK,” he told reporters.

“Hunger for position”

Dhinakaran alleged that both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam nominated presidents to head the respective district units of the party out of “their hunger for position and (to prove their) claims that all the AIADMK members are with them.” He warned that “they will regret it soon.”

Panneerselvam, who continues to claim to be the AIADMK coordinator, on Friday announced plans to convene the general council of his faction and visit the districts to meet party functionaries. As the two former chief ministers continue their political slugfest to stamp their supremacy, AIADMK’s former IT wing secretary Aspire Swaminathan claimed that the party’s symbol is likely to be frozen soon.

Watch: Is Sasikala still in the reckoning as EPS, OPS battle it out for AIADMK leadership?

Swaminathan tweeted on Friday, “There will be a resignation soon. It will be followed by a by-election and a fight for the Two Leaves symbol. The symbol will be frozen…The game starts.”

As the AIADMK continues to be a divided house, its ally, the BJP, is chalking out a roadmap to achieve its political ambition of sending at least 25 MPs on its own to Parliament in the next Lok Sabha elections.

(With agency inputs)