AIADMK has split into three factions, says party leader

Chennai, May 15 (IANS) The AIADMK party has now split into three factions, led respectively by O. Panneerselvam, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala and her nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran, said a party member.

Former parliamentarian of AIADMK party K.C. Palaniswamy told IANS that the "blasphemous" utterings by some members who have joined AIADMK in the recent past is affecting the party.

He was referring to the recent interview given by Nanjil Sampath belonging to the Sasikala faction.

"Sampath in an interview to a Tamil TV channel had said late J. Jayalalithaa committed the error of making O. Panneerselvam the Chief Minister twice," he said.

"It is nothing but blasphemous. Jayalalithaa had made Panneerselvam the Chief Minister twice when she faced some legal issues in continuing as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister," Palaniswamy said.

He said there was no opposition to Panneerselvam's selection to the top post in the state then.

"The utterings of people who have joined the AIADMK party in the recent times is affecting the party," Palaniswamy said.

He said the AIADMK party is now split into three groups each led by Panneerselvam, Chief Minister Palaniswami and Sasikala/Dinakaran.

It was Panneerselvam who revolted against the Sasikala's leadership of AIADMK some months back.

Sasikala was elected the party's General Secretary and later Panneerselvam was asked to resign from the Chief Minister's post after Jayalalithaa's death.

Subsequently the Election Commission had blocked the party's name and its `two leaves' poll symbol and the rival camps claimed the right to use them in a by-poll that was later postponed.

Both Sasikala and Dinakaran are in jail. Sasikala was convicted in a corruption case and is in a Bengaluru jail while Dinakaran has been arrested by Delhi Police for attempting to bribe Election Commission officials through a middleman.