CHENNAI: The drawn-out negotiations between rival factions of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK party may finally today produce a merger that has been in the works for months.
An announcement of the camps led by Chief Minister E Palaniswami or EPS and his predecessor O Panneerselvam or OPS merging may take place at noon, sources say.
OPS may be made deputy chief minister and party coordinator and three of his supporters may become ministers as part of the deal between the two factions. An 11-member coordination committee and three seniors may be appointed as joint coordinators.
State Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao is expected in Chennai in the afternoon, which has reinforced talk of a merger and a cabinet expansion.
On Friday night, despite elaborate flower arrangements and party members waiting at the shoreside memorial of J Jayalalithaa in Chennai, the merger of the two sides that split after her death fell through reportedly because some members of the OPS camp wanted EPS to step down.
One of the key conditions of the OPS camp – the expulsion of jailed party chief VK Sasikala – is likely to be the main driver of the reunion. Sources say the chief minister may promise, after the merger, to call the general council of the party to expel her.
Ms Sasikala, a long-time friend of Ms Jayalalithaa, took control of the party after her death in December and soon angled for the chief minister’s post, forcing the resignation of OPS who then rebelled. Ms Sasikala’s plans collapsed when she was sentenced to a four-year jail term for corruption. Before going to jail, she named EPS as the new chief minister and her nephew, TTV Dhinakaran, the AIADMK’s number No. 2.
Sources say some kinks may still need to be ironed out in the meeting between the factions before a possible merger announcement. These include who will have the signing authority, on cheques for instance, and whether OPS will take over as AIADMK general secretary. Both sides are cautious, given the many false starts.
On Saturday, OPS said: “There are no differences in the AIADMK and the talks for the merger as desired by the people of Tamil Nadu and cadre of AIADMK are proceeding smoothly. As early as possible and in a day or two, a good decision will be reached.”
The evening before, a large number of AIADMK lawmakers and the media waited for hours for an expected joint announcement by EPS and OPS of a merger after the chief minister agreed to a demand for an investigation into how Ms Jayalalithaa died. But the OPS camp insisted on a serving judge and not a team headed by a retired judge to examine the events that led to the former chief minister’s death.
Mr Palaniswami and Mr Panneerselvam’s separate meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi recently were seen to give the possibility of a merger a boost. The BJP is believed to be invested in a reunited AIADMK, which has in the past supported it on key policies and legislation and is seen as friendly to the centre.
