TTV Dhinakaran threatens to activate 'sleeper cells' of AIADMK, asks Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami to step down

Dhinakaran claims the support of 21 MLAs and is demanding removal of Palaniswami as Tamil Nadu CM.

Chennai: In fresh trouble for Palaniswami-Panneerselvam camp, VK Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday said that he has sleeper cells within the AIADMK.

Making a direct threat, Dhinakaran said that he has support of many AIADMK MLAs, so it would be better that Palaniswami steps down as Tamil Nadu CM.

At the same time, Sasikala's nephew revealed that there were 'sleeper cells' in the party and they would soon join his camp.

Dhinakaran's statement comes after 21 loyal party lawmakers skipped the meet held by the faction led by K Palaniswami on Monday.

Dhinakaran claims the support of 21 MLAs and is demanding removal of Palaniswami as CM.

The two factions of AIADMK led by Palaniswami and rebel leader O Panneerselvam had merged on August 21.

The absence of MLAs from the meet was a setback to the newly-combined faction besides the other 21 rebel MLAs, who had stayed at a Puducherry resort.

Hitting back at rebel Dhinakaran, in a meeting chaired by Palaniswami on Monday, the newly merged AIADMK had said that he was sacked from the post of deputy general secretary on August 10 itself and changes made by him in the party posts were invalid.

Dhinakaran had “no authority or qualification” to remove those appointed by late AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa from party posts and his announcements in this regard were not binding on party affairs, a resolution adopted at the meeting had said.

On the other hand, the Dinakaran faction of the AIADMK on Tuesday filed a caveat before the Election Commission that it should be heard before the poll body takes any decision on any pleas to be submitted by the faction consisting of Panneerselvam and Palanisamy after their recent merger.

Following the death of J Jayalalithaa, rival factions had approached the commission seeking the "Two Leaves" symbol for contesting the RK Nagar Assembly by-election in April which was countermanded following allegations of use of money power to influence the outcome.

In the by-election, the Panneerselvam faction was recognised as AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) and the Dinakaran faction was recognised as AIADMK (Amma).

However, in a dramatic turn of events, the factions led by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami came together in a bid to isolate Sasikala and Dinakaran after declaring that their nomination to the posts of general secretary and deputy general secretary was invalid.