Dinakaran faction faces the heat

Pressure continues to mount on the AIADMK (Amma) faction with its Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran being linked to attempts to the bribe Election Commission of India.

The Delhi Crime Branch Police has said that it will summon Dinakaran as part of its investigation, following the detention of an individual Sukesh Chandra, a go-between believed to be helping Dinakaran get the AIADMK’s ‘two leaf symbol’.

The AIADMK’s name and symbol was frozen by the EC ahead of a bypoll in RK Nagar constituency following a split within Tamil Nadu’s ruling party. However, the Election Commission rescinded the bypoll, which was to have been held on April 12, after the I-T Department unearthed documents pointing to large-scale bribing of voters. Names of half-a-dozen Cabinet Ministers, led by Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar, have also been connected with efforts to bribe voters.

Within days, authorities say there are possible links to Dinakaran attempting to financially influence the Election Commission. Dinakaran has categorically denied any such attempts.

Opposition political parties, including the breakaway faction of the AIADMK led by O Panneerselvam, the former chief minister, have condemned the attempt to influence the ECI.

A Gopanna, chairman, Media Department, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said there is increasing evidence of funds being misused to bribe the voters and now to bribe the authorities. This is a vicious cycle that has to be broken. VK Sasikala, the General Secretary of the AIADMK, is in jail after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case and now her nephew Dinakaran, the Deputy General Secretary, is linked with attempts to influence the ECI.

An AIADMK spokesperson for the OPS faction said the abuse of money power shows the pressure the Opposition faction is under. The real support of the people and the grass roots workers are with Panneerselvam, he said.

The CPI(M) and the VCK have also condemned the attempt to influence the ECI.

Meanwhile talks of a possible rapprochement between the two factions have also emerged. Responding to a question from media persons, Panneerselvam said his team is open to the idea of discussions with the Sasikala camp.

M Thambidurai, a senior leader in the faction supporting Dinakaran, and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, told media persons that they “could work together” if the OPS faction is willing.