Even as speculation is rife that that the much-hyped merger between the Edappadi Palaniswami and the O Panneerselvam factions is unravelling, Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan has told TNM that there is no truth to the rumours.
“There is no rift between EPS and OPS factions as is being reported by the media. There is no truth in it. It is probable that these rumours and theories are being spread by the DMK and Sasikala (TTV Dhinakaran) camp to spread confusion among the AIADMK cadre,” said Maitreyan to TNM.
Speculation of a rift between the Chief Minister and the Deputy was fuelled by OPS’ meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. While the media had speculated that Panneerselvam’s meeting with the PM was to complain about his differences with EPS, the AIADMK source brushed aside the reports. “OPS had last met the Prime Minister in August before the merger. He enjoys a good rapport with the PM. It was a courtesy call by OPS after he became Deputy Chief Minister,” said another source in the AIADMK.
In the run-up to the merger between the two factions, OPS and EPS had multiple meetings with the Prime Minister. When the two camps were united, many credited the BJP and the Prime Minister for brokering the peace.
A source in the AIADMK told TNM that as in any party, there is friction between the two factions. “But there is no major rift,” the source pointed out.
When asked about VK Sasikala’s five-day parole and whether any MLAs had spoken to the ousted leader, the source said, “I am sure a lot of them spoke to her on the phone. But the fact that none of them lined up outside her residence is a message that she doesn’t command absolute power any more, and that they are not scared of her.”
Sasikala’s nephew and sidelined AIADMK Deputy General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran has warned of activating “sleeper cell MLAs” to bring down the EPS government.