DNA Edit: Tamil Political Theater - Strange ongoings in the AIADMK

The twists and turns of Tamil politics would be entertaining if it did not involve public interest. AIADMK Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and Deputy Chief Minister O Pannerselvam (OPS) are once again at loggerheads.

Each wants to see the other discredited and is working overtime towards that end. Both are lightweights propped up by the Centre in the interests of the state’s political stability until the General Election in 2019. Waiting in the wings to see both EPS and OPS fall is T T V Dhinakaran, nephew of V K Sasikala, who was Jayalalithaa’s long-time aide.

In the only election (to R K Nagar Assembly seat in December 2017) after EPS and OPS came to office, Dhinakaran’s victory showed him to be more than a match to both EPS and OPS. With the country in election mode, Dhinakaran set the cat among the pigeons by revealing that OPS had met him secretly once and, in September, had sought another meeting. OPS was forced to admit that he had, indeed, met him secretly while efforts were on for a merger of the AIADMK factions by keeping out Dhinakaran; but, he denied seeking a second meeting.

This cast him as the ‘bad boy’ in the BJP’s eyes and EPS seemed a step ahead as he was invited to meet the Prime Minister. But, soon after he returned to Chennai, the Madras High Court ordered a CBI enquiry into allegations of corruption against him.

This was three days after the state’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption had given him a clean chit in a case relating to road contracts worth over Rs 3,000 crore. Now, OPS, who was down after his secret powwow with Dhinakaran, is one up against EPS. Thus, continues the see-saw game between EPS and OPS, both of whom are alike in their indifference to issues of governance.