AIADMK crisis: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami
KR Ramasamy, Congress legislative party leader in Tamil Nadu Assembly, wrote a letter to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao requesting him to direct Chief Minister EK Palaniswami to prove his majority in the Assembly, ANI reported. This follows DMK working president MK Stalin writing a similar letter to the Governor complaining of an ‘unprecedented constitutional crisis’ in the state and asking him to call a floor test without delay. While the Congress has 8 MLAs in the Assembly, the DMK has 89 legislators.
The Congress and DMK’s confidence to take part in a floor test stems from the banner of rebellion raised by 19 AIADMK MLAs loyal to TTV Dinakaran against the party. These 19 MLAs, currently housed in a resort near Puducherry, had met the Governor Tuesday demanding action against Palaniswami for alleged abuse of power, corruption and favouritism. Sources told the Indian Express that Dinakaran wants Palaniswami to be replaced as chief minister by an MLA in his camp so that he could wield more influence over the government and the party.
On Monday, after months of discussions and talks, the two factions led by former CM O Panneerselvam and current CM EK Palaniswami merged resulting in a unified AIADMK. Panneerselvam was made the deputy chief minister of the state and given charge of the finance ministry. Panneerselvam, better known as OPS, has long demanded that Sasikala, long-time aide to late CM Jayalalithaa and currently spending her days in a Bengaluru prison after being convicted in a corruption case, should be expelled from the party. Dinakaran, the nephew of Sasikala, should also be removed from the party, OPS had contended. But both the demands are currently not resolved. Although Dinakaran’s decisions were declared ”null and void’ by the party earlier, he continues to sack ministers and officials who have threatened to oust Sasikala from the AIADMK.
