New Delhi/Chennai: Politics in Tamil Nadu plunged into renewed turmoil after Delhi police on Monday registered a case against TTV Dinakaran, deputy general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK) ruling faction for allegedly trying to bribe Election Commission (EC) officials with Rs50 crore in exchange for the party’s frozen ‘two leaves’ symbol.
The Delhi police also arrested Sukesh Chandrashekhar, a middleman, from a hotel in Delhi on Sunday night. The arrests came amid apparent merger attempts by the two factions of the AIADMK—one headed by Dinakaran’s aunt and ‘interim’ general secretary V.K.Sasikala and the other by ousted chief minister O.Panneerselvam.
Reunification meant Sasikala, who is in jail in a disproportionate assets case, Dinakaran and her entire family would be kept away from party affairs, said two people aware of the matter.
“It is the influence of Sasikala’s family over the party that is actually delaying the coming together of the two factions,” said a senior party member. Panneerselvam said on Monday, “We are ready for talks about the merger, but no one has approached us.”
Dinakaran has denied reports that ministers and senior leaders have asked him to step down. He added on Monday: “Such allegations (of attempted bribery) are being spread to destroy the name of the party. I don’t know who is planning such things.” He later left for Bengaluru to meet his aunt at Parappana Agrahara prison.
The two leaves symbol was frozen by the Election Commission after the party split in the run-up to bypolls for the R.K.Nagar assembly seat that was held by the late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
“The Crime Branch has arrested S Chandrashekhar who as per information had promised TTV Dinakaran that he would influence the Election Commission to obtain a favourable order for them in lieu of consideration of Rs50 crore,” the Delhi Police crime branch press officer Madhur Verma said.
Verma added that the crime branch had recovered Rs1.3 crore in cash from Chandrashekhar. Cases have been registered against both for trying to bribe a public servant), impersonating a public servant and criminal conspiracy.
Senior police officials confirmed that a team from Crime branch would be leaving for Chennai with summons for Dinakaran. “Dinakaran will also be sent summons soon,” said a senior Delhi police official, on the condition of anonymity.
The police also confirmed that the money recovered from Chandrashekhar was being used to pay a bribe to the ECI and that a total of Rs50 crore was involved in the whole process.
So far, there was no evidence against any ECI official in the matter, the Delhi police said.
While Dinakaran denied having any links with Chandrashekhar, adding that he would look into it if the Delhi police summons him in the matter, the Delhi police stated that Chandrashekhar and Dinakaran had in fact been in talks to “influence the EC” with regard to the symbol.
“I don’t know who Sukesh Chandra is. I never spoke to him regarding the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol issue. I’ll handle it legally, if the Delhi police sends a summon,” said Dinakaran.
Following a factional feud within the ruling party, the EC ruled in an interim order, last month that neither group can use the original name and symbol of the AIADMK, but said the decision is “purely for the purposes of the by-election” in RK Nagar assembly constituency, which was slated for 12 April.
However, following allegations of cash for vote in the Chennai constituency, the EC cancelled the by-election.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of chief minister J. Jayalalithaa in December.
Just ahead of the bypoll, the EC granted the name AIADMK Puratchi Thalavi Amma with the electric pole as its symbol, to the faction led by former chief minister O. Panneerselvam and the team under V.K. Sasikala was allotted the name of AIADMK Amma with the hat for a symbol.