AIADMK merger talks: Two factions blame each other for 'delay' in taking proposal forward

Chennai: Days after the two factions of AIADMK announced panels for the merger talk, the move hit yet another roadblock on Monday as both sides blamed each other for the “delay” in taking the proposal forward. [caption id=“attachment_3142180” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The O Panneerselvam led faction said the rival camp headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswamy was “in a state of confusion”, adding that some unseen hand was controlling it. Rejecting the charges, the ruling camp asserted there was no confusion and it had already sent the invite for talks. Meanwhile, the Panneerselvam camp has stuck to its demands of a CBI probe into the death of late chief minister Jayalalithaa and expulsion of General Secretary V K Sasikala, her nephew and Deputy General Secretary T T V Dinakaran and other family members from AIADMK as a pre-condition for talks, key aide of former chief minister O Panneerselvam, said. He said “confusing” statements were coming from various leaders of the CM’s camp even on the issue of forming the panel to hold the merger talks. However, Palaniswamy camp leader and Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithilingam, who is heading the panel set up by the faction, said there was no confusion on their side. The party had named senior ministers D Jayakumar, C Srinivasan, K A Sengottaiyan, P Thangamani, SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam as members of the panel, he said at a press meet at the AIADMK headquarters shortly after Munuswamy met the media. In signs of thaw on AIADMK merger move last week, the two sides had announced formation of committees for holding talks, but no headway was made in the last two days. Munuswamy said Sasikala was capable of “destroying” the party, while making clear their demand for her expulsion. He also objected to an article in AIADMK mouthpiece ‘Dr Namathu MGR’ which he claimed had mentioned that the party was with Sasikala and Dinakaran. “This is coming from somewhere. This is not required,” he said.