Something seems to be brewing in the AIADMK, as the factions are said to be realising at last that a three way split in the party can only result in doom for all three.
O Panneerselvam, former CM and leader of the Puratchi Thalaivi Amma faction, was supposed to take a Saturday flight to Madurai to address a meeting in Sivakasi on Sunday . Instead, he stayed back and took a morning flight to Trichy , which health minister C Vijaya Bhaskar (representing the EPS faction) and Senthil Balaji, a key participant in the T T V Dhinakaran faction, were also to board. Balaji was appointed organising secretary by Dhinakaran on Friday.
"OPS was sounded out on Saturday by the other two factions to stay back overnight and take the morning flight. All three met in the VIP lounge in the city airport on Sunday morning and were closeted in animated conversation for sometime," said a person in the know of things. "Both Vijaya Bhaskar and Senthil Balaji requested OPS to relax his faction's pre-conditions a bit and accommodate at least TTV into party matters, while still keeping V K Sasikala, who is in jail, out of the whole thing. This could actually pave the way for all three factions to come together quickly and in time to fight the local body elections together," it is understood.
Panneerselvam himself, despite the confident public posturing that cadres are with his faction, but unable to make much headway beyond, is said to be not averse to the idea. OPS reportedly told the other two that he needs time to discuss with his team's core group on the same and get back.
Of course, after landing in Trichy and later, the three separately denied having discussed politics. The development came in the wake of heated statements being issued by leaders of various factions and Dhinakaran himself facing the embarrassment of three MLAs, whom he appointed, spurning the posts.
OPS addressed a public meeting in Sivakasi on Sunday evening. Instead of taking a flight to Madurai from Chennai, partymen said the leader flew to Trichy and drove down to Sivakasi.
O Panneerselvam, former CM and leader of the Puratchi Thalaivi Amma faction, was supposed to take a Saturday flight to Madurai to address a meeting in Sivakasi on Sunday . Instead, he stayed back and took a morning flight to Trichy , which health minister C Vijaya Bhaskar (representing the EPS faction) and Senthil Balaji, a key participant in the T T V Dhinakaran faction, were also to board. Balaji was appointed organising secretary by Dhinakaran on Friday.
"OPS was sounded out on Saturday by the other two factions to stay back overnight and take the morning flight. All three met in the VIP lounge in the city airport on Sunday morning and were closeted in animated conversation for sometime," said a person in the know of things. "Both Vijaya Bhaskar and Senthil Balaji requested OPS to relax his faction's pre-conditions a bit and accommodate at least TTV into party matters, while still keeping V K Sasikala, who is in jail, out of the whole thing. This could actually pave the way for all three factions to come together quickly and in time to fight the local body elections together," it is understood.
Panneerselvam himself, despite the confident public posturing that cadres are with his faction, but unable to make much headway beyond, is said to be not averse to the idea. OPS reportedly told the other two that he needs time to discuss with his team's core group on the same and get back.
Of course, after landing in Trichy and later, the three separately denied having discussed politics. The development came in the wake of heated statements being issued by leaders of various factions and Dhinakaran himself facing the embarrassment of three MLAs, whom he appointed, spurning the posts.
OPS addressed a public meeting in Sivakasi on Sunday evening. Instead of taking a flight to Madurai from Chennai, partymen said the leader flew to Trichy and drove down to Sivakasi.