Firm on keeping out Sasikala, Dinakaran: AIADMK ruling faction

Chennai: Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK faction on Monday reiterated that they are firm on the decision to sideline jailed General Secretary VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran from the party.

After presiding over a meeting of ministers at the Secretariat here, Finance Minister D. Jayakumar said that his faction, led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, are keeping away from both of them. 

"We are very clear. Our April 17 decision to sideline Dinakaran and his relatives still stands. We are very firm in our decision. There is no question of going back...," he said, adding that cadres including senior functionaries did not meet Dinakaran, who was granted bail by a Delhi court, when he came here. 

Pointing out that Dinkaran himself stated that he would stay away from party activities, Jayakumar urged him to "stick to his words". 

"We are not dependent on them (Sasikala and Dinakaran). We are independently doing our work and there no interference from anyone," he added. 

The minister's statement came just few hours after Dinakaran asserted that he would surely engage in party work and accused senior leaders of not advancing the initiative for merger between the two rival AIADMK groups. 

He also said that he would meet his aunt Sasikala, who was lodged in Bengaluru prison, and would discuss about his next course of action. 

The other AIADMK group, led by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, still insist that a merger is possible only if Sasikala and Dinakaran are officially removed from the party.