The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) Mr. Edappadi Palanisamy, today, formed a committee comprising seven members, to hold talks with predecessor and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader O Paneerselvam.  

Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithiyalingam, will be the head of the committee and includes ministers C Sreenivasan, KA Sengottaiyan and D Jayakumar among others. The AIADMK faction, under Palanisamy earlier on Friday, went into a gathering, a day after the O Panneerselvam camp set formal removal of party General Secretary VK Sasikala and her deputy TTV Dhinakaran as conditions for merger talks. Cabinet colleagues D Jayakumar, C Shanmugham, SP Velumani and R Vaithilingam among others, joined Palaniswamy, at party headquarters for the meeting.

On Thursday, the Paneerselvam camp, demanded that the faction led by Palaniswamy remove Sasikala and her nephew Dinakaran, besides about 30 members of their family from the party. Dinakaran, following the cabinet’s revolt against him early this week, had said that he was stepping aside in the interest of the party. Meanwhile, KP Munusamy, a top leader in the Paneerselvam camp stated their first demand was to get the resignation of Sasikala and Dinakaran and later their formal expulsion along with 30 other members of their family from the party. The Paneerselvam camp, also sought a CBI investigation into the circumstances that lead to Ex-CM Jayalalithaa’s death, on December 5, last year. The Paneerselvam camp further alleged that the Tamil Nadu CM is formulating new ways to prevent the merger from taking place.

KP Munusamy said, “Current Chief Minister Palaniswami, who was appointed at the mercy of Sasikala, is not acting as the AIADMK Chief Minister rather he is acting as the Chief Minister of Sasikala and her family.” The Palaniswamy faction said, that the former should first take its complaint regarding the symbol issue back. Vaithilingam told the media in Chennai, that, “Their camp went to Election Commission first on the symbol issue, let them take back their complaint first.”

Vaithilingam, regarding the second demand of investaging late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's death, said the demand for the same is under the consideration of the court, adding the government will follow the order.

Tamil Nadu Cabinet Sidelines Sasikala, Dinakaran From Party

By Supraja