Puducherry: Embattled AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday met with 19 legislators at the luxurious resort where they have been staying since August 22 and demanded the intervention of President Ram Nath Kovind to defuse the “extraordinary political situation” prevailing in Tamil Nadu.
Dhinakaran, who exuded confidence that the number of MLAs supporting would go up gradually, also said he and legislators supporting him would wait for “another two days” for Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to take action on their letter withdrawing support to the Chief Minister failing which they would decide their future course of action.
Arriving at the Windflower resort on Saturday afternoon, Dhinakaran met with the legislators and interacted with them for some time. He also asked them whether their stay was comfortable and is understood to have given a pep talk on the need to stay strong in their resolve in removing the Chief Minister.
“An extraordinary political situation is prevailing in Tamil Nadu. President (Ram Nath Kovind) and Governor (Ch Vidyasagar Rao) should intervene (and defuse) this extraordinary situation. We will wait for two more days and then decide the next course of action,” Dhinakaran, who was removed from the post of deputy general secretary, told reporters after his meeting with legislators.
The former Periyakulam Lok Sabha MP asserted that all legislators were “staying on their own will” and they are not under any compulsion to stay here. “They told me that they are staying at their will and they would continue to be here till the Governor takes a call on the situation,” he said, adding that their motto was to remove Palaniswami from the post.
The legislators are camping in Puducherry ever since they met Rao on August 22 and submitted a letter of withdrawal of support to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
“A chief minister appointed by us has betrayed people and party by joining hands with Panneerselvam who had earlier betrayed the party. How can a man who has betrayed a party that made him chief minister serve people?” he
asked.
“We know why he said so,” he replied when asked about Rao informing a delegation led by VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan that he cannot intervene in the “internal affairs” of the AIADMK. However, he refused to elaborate.
