AIADMK merger: TTV Dhinakaran axes 4 ministers from party; DMK, Congress demand trust vote

Chennai: Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday axed four ministers from the party posts, in an attempt to assert his authority on the party. 

The four ministers, RB Uthayakumar, KC Veeramani, MR Vijayabaskar and R Kamaraj, were dismissed from the party posts.

In separate statements, Dhinakaran announced the appointments of his aides to these posts.

He also relieved the district secretaries of Chennai (South), Kancheepuram, Thiruvallore (West) and Pudukottai of their duties. In the Dravidian parties' hierarchy, district secretaries play a key role in the organisational growth.

He also appointed a number of his supporters to various others posts including that of the organisation secretary, besides expanding the office-bearers list.

The appointments were made with the 'approval' of Sasikala, Dhinakaran said.

Eighteen party MLAs, who sweared their loyalty to Dhinakaran, continued to stay at a Puducherry resort, a day after they revolted against the K Palaniswami government threatening its survival.

Police personnel have been deployed outside the resort and media was not allowed to enter the premises.

The local wing of the unified AIADMK burned effigies of Dhinakaran, nephew of Sasikala, near the resort and raised slogans against them.

The Congress, on the other hand, today pitched for a floor test in the assembly, a day after its ally DMK made a similar demand, claiming 22 AIADMK MLAs had submitted letters to Governor Ch Vidayasagar Rao expressing lack of confidence in Chief Minister E K Palaniswami.

In the 234-member assembly, the AIADMK has 134 MLAs.

Rallying behind party chief VK Sasikala, who is currently servind her 4-year imprisonment in a disproportionate case at Parapanna Agrahara central prison, her brother Divakaran claimed the Palaniswami ministry had lost majority and sought his resignation.

"Such a government cannot continue. Palaniswami has to resign," he told reporters at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district.

Divakaran had on Tuesday suggested the name of assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, a Dalit, to replace Palaniswami.

Both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam seemed undeterred by the developments. In the afternoon today, they attended the centenary celebrations of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran together in Ariyalur.

Meanwhile, the latest shake-up by Dhinakaran comes two days after the merger of the factions led by Palaniswami and rebel leader O Panneerselvam, a former chief minister.

Under the arrangement, Panneerselvam was made deputy chief minister and the coordinator of the party. Palaniswami was named co-coordinator.

It was also agreed that steps would be taken to expel Sasikala, which was a pre-condition for the merger.

In the wake of differences in the ruling party, the DMK has demanded a floor test in the assembly to prove that the government was in a majority.

At Puducherry, former MLA Om Sakthi Segar led the protest against Sasikala and Dhinakaran.

Segar handed over a petition to the district collector and SP asking them to instruct the MLAs to vacate the resort in the "larger interest of law and order".

He alleged the Congress-led Puducherry government was trying to engineer a split in the AIADMK by letting the MLAs stay at the resort. 

(With PTI updates)