Dhinakaran side MLAs with draws support to Palaniswami

Barely a day after the merger between the two All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK) warring factions, as many as 19 MLAs supporting "ousted" leader TTV Dhinakaran, met Tamil Nadu governor CH Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday and submitted individual letters withdrawing their support to the chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
 
The move by the Dhinakaran supporters is expected to put pressure on Palaniswami's government as the chief minister might undergo another floor test in the Tamil Nadu assembly to prove his majority if governor asked to do so.
 
Adding to the woes, the Opposition DMK's working president MK Stalin too sent a letter to the governor seeking an order for proving Palaniswami's majority in the House citing the Supreme Court's judgement in SR Bommai case.
 
Legislators, supporting Dhinakaran, in their identical letter, stated that they have arrived at the decision as they have lost their faith in Palaniswami.
 
"I hereby express my lack of confidence on Edappadi K Palaniswami and withdraw my earlier support given to him with this communication. I hereby submit that I have not given up my membership of the AIADMK and I am only doing my duty as a conscious citizen to express the abuse and misuse of the Constitutional provision", the letter said.
 
Dinakaran supporter and legislator Thanga Tamilselvan, who led the MLA team to the governor, said that they were not consulted before the merger and Palaniswami had disrespected them by doing so.
 
Stepping up his fight back, "ousted" leader Dhinakaran also sacked Rajya Sabha member Vaithialingam from the party for his announcement that a general council meeting would remove Sasikala as general secretary of the party during the time of the merger between the two factions.
 
However, Vaithilingam said that Dinakaran does not have the power to remove him from the party as he has already been expelled.
 
Meanwhile, chief minister Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, who got additional portfolios on Tuesday, convened an emergency meeting and discussed the developments in Dhinakaran's camp.
 
Going by the calculations, the ruling AIADMK need to have the support of 117 MLAs for showing an absolute majority in the House. The ruling AIADMK has 135 member strength in the Assembly. If 19 MLAs withdraw their support, Palaniswami government will be short of one seat.