Why did animal husbandry minister meet VK Sasikala, asks OPS camp

Chennai: Accusing the rival Edappadi K. Palanisami camp of “enacting drama” on booting out V. K. Sasikala from the AIADMK, the OPS camp on Sunday sought to know the reason behind animal husbandry minister P. Balakrishna Reddy meeting the interim general secretary of the party in Bengaluru prison.

While D. Jayakumar, one of the senior most ministers in the EPS government, publicly says the family of Ms Sasikala has been sidelined in the AIADMK, his colleague Mr Reddy meets her in jail, the OPS camp said on Sunday, accusing the rival camp of not being serious on merger talks.

“I don’t know why such drama is being enacted? One minister says Sasikala and her family is not in the party, but another minister meets her in Bengaluru jail. Why such drama? We have no clue on who the EPS camp wants to cheat?” Rajya Sabha MP Dr V. Maitreyan told reporters.

Mr Maitreyan, one of the first leaders to have joined Mr Panneerselvam after he rebelled against Ms Sasikala on February 7, also accused the EPS camp of not being serious on merger talks.

However, another member of the OPS camp, 'MaFoi' K Pandiarajan said there were indications that the EPS faction is considering implementing their demands like expelling Ms Sasikala from the AIADMK and ordering a probe into the "mysterious" death of J Jayalalithaa.

Immediately after the cancellation of Dr R K Nagar by-polls, both factions of the AIADMK expressed interest in a merger but things have not moved anywhere for the past one month. And in a clear indication that the merger talks have failed, Mr Panneerselvam had on Friday knocked at the doors of the Election Commission demanding that it restrain the V K Sasikala faction of the AIADMK from using the party headquarters on the Avvai Shanmugam Salai here. However, the EPS camp has been reiterating that both factions should unite for the sake of the party.