Chennai, December 25: A day after AIADMK lost the RK Nagar assembly seat to the rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran, the party on Monday axed several of his aides and warned of action against those who “betrayed” the party.
The AIADMK on Monday called a high-level meeting of senior leaders at its party headquarters to take a stock of the situation after the RK Nagar defeat. The party alleged that there was a secret understanding between TTV Dhinakaran and the DMK for its debacle.
The party also went ahead and sent out a stern warning to fence sitters and opportunists in the party by expelling two district secretaries of the party for carrying out anti-party activities. The party also decided to remove four district secretaries, who were known supporters of TTV.
The AIADMK in a joint statement issued by Palaniswami and Pannerselvam said the members were being “removed” since they went against party’s principles and brought “disrepute” to AIADMK.
“Party workers are requested not to have any truck with them,” both leaders said in a statement.
Coming strongly in the wake of the bypoll loss, Palaniswami said action will be taken against those who “betrayed” AIADMK.
However, TTV Dhinakaran rejected the ruling camp’s charge of a ‘tacit understanding’ between him and DMK.
Dhinakaran, who won the December 21 bypoll trouncing nearest AIADMK rival by a margin of over 40,000 votes, said DMK appeared to have made “an arithmetic” mistake” and was ‘overconfident’.
He was responding to questions from reporters here on AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and co-coordinator K Palaniswami’s charge that his victory was due to a ‘tacit understanding’ between him and DMK.
They have claimed that the win was achieved by a “conspiracy” of Stalin and Dhinakaran and it would not affect the AIADMK.
In a related development, expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa called on Dhinkaran and congratulated him today.
Puspha, who was sacked by the then Chief Minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa last year for alleged anti-party activities, met Dhinakaran at his residence here.
Dhinakaran took a swipe at DMK, saying the opposition party was “overconfident” following its performance in the assembly polls last year when it secured over 55,000 votes in the constituency, then won by late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.
“DMK was overconfident that it had allies, and 55,000 votes (polled in the 2016 Assembly polls). But situation will change in every election,” he said.
On the AIADMK’s allegation that DMK diverted its votes to Dhinakaran as part of their ‘tacit understanding,’ he wondered how that was possible.
“A party (DMK) that is in existence for 70 years, aided by the support of allies, seems to have just made an arithmetic mistake,” he said.
He might have received DMK votes as those voters may have also preferred him, “but a DMK worker will not vote for someone else even if their party leader asks them to do so,” Dhinakaran said.
He added that he and the people of RK Nagar had a common thread that it was ‘Amma’s constituency,’ referring Jayalalithaa having represented the city segment till her death in December last year.
To a question on the charge of money distribution made against him by leaders of the ruling AIADMK, the newly elected legislator made counter allegations, saying it was they who gave cash to the voters.
He wanted the Election Commission to probe both complaints.
Emerging from her meeting with Dhinakaran, Pushpa said he had won overcoming many difficulties and challenges.
“He has secured a historic, Himalayan victory,” she told reporters separately.
The MP, who created a furore when she claimed in the Rajya Sabha last year that she was “slapped by a leader,” said she came to congratulate Dhinakaran.
Although Pushpa was expelled from AIADMK last year, she continues to be recognised as a party MP in Rajya Sabha.
(With input from PTI)