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Merger of EPS and OPS in the offing in Tamil Nadu Politics?

  • Emergency meetings in the residences of two ministers for more than an hour
  • Ministers talk about party moving forward with a united spirit - EPS-OPS merger in the offing
  • TTV Dinakaran doesn't meet Sasikala at Bengaluru prison, strategy to buy time from the summons?
  • What's Sasikala's future?
Merger of EPS and OPS in the offing in Tamil Nadu Politics

 

TTV Dinakaran, AIADMK's deputy general secretary, who denied the bribery allegations slapped against him by the Delhi crime branch, is seen to be playing out a strategy to buy time from the impending summons. Speculation rife that Sasikala will resign as the General Secretary.

 

In a span of 12 hours after AIADMK's deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran faced a setback, at least around 16 ministers in Tamil Nadu huddled into emergency meetings in the residences of two ministers - Udumalai Radhakrishnan and Thangamani. It seemed to be a marathon meeting that took place for more than an hour, suggesting possibilities of an EPS-OPS merger. The fact that this meeting took place a little after O Paneerselvam claiming that the party must forge our energies collectively and move forward, reiterated the possibility further.

 

Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai, who was seen holding discussions with OPS, said, " What split? There is no split . It's only a difference of opinion among certain people." Ministers like Jayakumar of the Sasikala faction said that they welcome O Paneerselvam's suggestion given the fact that affidavit holding the replies of the two factions need to be submitted to the Election Commission with regards to the fight for the two-leaves symbol.

 

TTV Dinakaran, meanwhile, is busy fighting his own battle. His plan of meeting Sasikala, the interim General Secretary of AIADMK, at Parappana Agrahara, Central Prison of Bengaluru, did not materialise. The prison rules say that visitors are allowed only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This is also seen as a deliberate act played out by Dinakaran to buy time till Wednesday and on the pretext of meeting Sasikala can delay the summons and also gain the anticipatory bail perhaps.

 

'If Dinakaran is arrested' may have supposedly been the fear factor that drove the EPS and OPS factions to reach middle ground, so their future can remain secure. But, what will be the compromise formula is again a key point that will steer the way forward. Speculation was rife that Sasikala will call it quits. While minister Jayakumar termed it an absolute lie, OPS-EPS merger may be working out a conspiracy theory to get that cracking as well.

 

One can never really underestimate the power of the 'Mannargudi Mafia'. While the ministers state that all 123 MLAs have shown their support for this possible unity, how will caste and personal dynamics shape up in this dramatic move is yet to be determined. An official announcement is still awaited. And Amma at Marina beach might be watching history repeat. From Jaya-Janaki to an EPS-OPS merger.

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