With Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran ousted, AIADMK focus shifts to govt administration

Chennai: On December 29, 2016, barely three weeks after the demise of the AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa, her confidante of over three decades V.K. Sasikala was declared her political successor and crowned as ‘interim’ general secretary by the party general council.

The roller-coaster ride for the AIADMK since then— Sasikala’s sudden meteoric rise as Chinnamma and her quick fall into the Bengaluru jail, a swift change in the Chief Minister leading to a three-way split and the Election Commission freezing the party’s popular ‘two leaves’ symbol --crossed yet another milestone here on Tuesday.

At the very same venue where Sasikala was hailed as the saviour of the post-Amma AIADMK, the general council of a seemingly reunited party clinically removed her from the post of ‘interim’ general secretary and nullified all her harried party decisions and hurried appointments before she was driven off to Bengaluru to begin her jail term.

The most prominent head that rolled out of that the GC guillotine was that of her ambitious nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who she had nominated deputy general secretary authorised to run the party in her absence. Now he will not only lose that party post but even the primary membership of the AIADMK because he has been pushed back to the time when Jayalalithaa threw him out of the party. Pushed to the wall like never before, the ex-MP has vowed to hit back, even if that means rocking the EPS boat.

The GC also consigned to the eternal platonic realm of ‘none-qualified-to-hold-it’ the top post of general secretary by posthumously designating Amma as Niranthara Pothu-Cheyalaalar, ‘permanent general secretary’, much on the lines of the title she was fond of when alive and in regal command: Niranthara Muthalvar.

In the place of general secretary at active command, the party will now have a steering committee to administer its affairs; headed by deputy CM O. Panneerselvam as coordinator and CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami as joint coordinator, besides two men from either factions as deputy coordinators. The rest of the 11-member team will be announced soon, reflecting the share of power and responsibilities in the post-merger AIADMK with the focus on containing the threatening shadow of TTV.

TTV is naturally furious at the general council resolutions. Making clear that he would challenge the legality of the council’s convening by anyone other than the general secretary, Chinnamma’s viceroy has reiterated, in stronger terms than ever, his resolve to pull down ‘betrayer’ EPS government. “He betrayed Chinnamma despite her making him the CM. Next he will betray the people too”, has been TTV’s refrain; notwithstanding the irrationality in placing a corruption-convict on the same scale as the ‘people’.

TTV flaunts his army of 21 MLAs to justify the confidence he would be able to topple EPS; but of course, there are those ‘sleeping cells’ among the AIADMK legislators he insists he would be able to wake up anytime for his ‘surgical strike’ should the Chief Minister face a confidence vote in the Assembly and the ‘rebels’ now, dare to then rebel.

With Tuesday’s development, the principal opposition DMK led by M.K. Stalin has also upped the ante, quickening its recourse to legal remedies to get the Assembly convened to put EPS to test. In the House of 233 MLAs (taking into account the vacancy in RK Nagar due to Jayalalithaa’s death), even Stalin has admitted that EPS is just three short of the magic number of 117 to pass through. In the present political ‘culture’, that’s a very small number for ‘managing’ by any ruling party even if the resorts in Karnataka resemble Adam’s Eden.

Besides, with four years still to go in the term of this Assembly, not many legislators would be willing to force a midterm poll unless the money-play is too strong to resist temptations— again, here is some serious work for the taxmen and other Central agencies to wake up to. The people cannot afford an election so soon again. The BJP government at the Centre too would be only too happy to do business with the AIADMK administration in TN, politically stable post-general council and sanitised of the Sasikala family influences.

Having crossed the big hurdle of that ‘sanitising’ process at the general council session on Tuesday, the AIADMK party must now brace itself to handle a long court battle with TTV to consolidate position. Equally important, the EPS government should shake clear of all the past political aberrations and distractions and get into the serious business of running a clean administration. People have never been so fatigued by maladministration and high corruption as they are these past few months.

From Jaya’s death to split to merger to Sasikala’s ouster

December 5, 2016: J. Jayalalithaa passes away
December 6, 2016: Finance minister O. Panneerselvam takes over as Chief Minister
December 10, 2016: Majority of AIADMK leaders request Sasikala to take over as party chief
December 23, 2016: AIADMK convenes General Council on December 29
December 29, 2016: AIADMK General Council appoints V.K. Sasikala as General Secretary
December 31, 2016: V.K. Sasikala takes over as AIADMK General Secretary
January 2, 2017: Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai asks Sasikala to take over as Chief Minister
February 3, 2017: AIADMK convenes Legislature Party meet on February 5
February 5, 2017: Sasikala elected as AIADMK Legislature Party leader
February 7, 2017: O. Panneerselvam revolts against Sasikala; says he was forced to resign
February 8, 2017: AIADMK MLAs shifted to Koovathur resort near Chennai
February 9, 2017: Sasikala and Panneerselvam meet Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao separately
February 14, 2017: Edappadi K. Palaniswami elected as AIADMK Legislature party leader after Sasikala was convicted in disproportionate assets case by the Supreme Court
February 15, 2017: Sasikala lodged in Parapana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru; she appoints T.T. V. Dhinakaran as deputy general secretary
February 16, 2017: Edappadi K. Palaniswami sworn-in as Chief Minister
February 18, 2017: Edappadi K. Palaniswami Government wins trust vote amid boycott by DMK members
April 14, 2017: Ministers and MLAs request Dhinakaran to keep away from party
April 17, 2017: Delhi Police books Dhinakaran in Election Commission bribery case
April 18, 2017: EPS camp distances itself from Sasikala and her family
April 25, 2017: Dhinakaran arrested in Election Commission bribery case
June 5, 2017: Dhinakaran gives two month deadline for factions to unite; says he will stay away from party till August 4
June 11, 2017: OPS disbands merger committee; says merger thing of past
August 4, 2017: TTV announces new office bearers and says he will undertake statewide tour
August 10, 2017: EPS camp virtually removes Dhinakaran from AIADMK
August 17, 2017: EPS announces probe into Jayalalithaa’s death and converts Poes Garden residence into memorial
August 21, 2017: EPS-OPS factions unite; OPS takes oath as deputy chief minister
August 22, 2017: 19 legislators owing allegiance to Dhinakaran submit Governor Rao and withdraw their support to Palaniswami; they are moved to Puducherry
August 24, 2017: Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal issues showcause notice to 19 MLAs asking why they should not be disqualified
August 28, 2017: AIADMK’s EPS-OPS camp convenes General Council on September 12
September 5, 2017: EPS-OPS camp convene meeting of AIADMK legislators; 114 MLAs attend
September 7, 2017: Dhinakaran meets Governor Rao demanding direction to Edappadi to prove his majority in the Assembly
September 10, 2017: Opposition Leader M.K. Stalin meets Governor Rao and gives him one-week deadline to order floor test
September 11, 2017: Madras High Court refuses to stay the General Council meet on a plea filed by Perambur MLA P. Vetrivel
September 12, 2017: AIADMK General Council removes Sasikala from interim general secretary post; removes Dhinakaran from party