The tussle in the Mannargudi family has intensified over the last few days, with Sasikala’s nephew and RK Nagar MLA T.T.V. Dhinakaran and her brother V. Dhivakaran being at loggerheads.
A day after Dhinakaran’s lieutenant and Perambur MLA P. Vetrivel put out a Facebook post, and Dhinakaran warned Dhivakaran and his son Jeyanandh in a public meeting in Thanjavur, Dhivakaran has accused his nephew of running a one-man show in the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). AMMK is the new party launched by Dhinakaran on March 15, as a breakaway faction of the ruling AIADMK after the Mannargudi family members were clearly shunned by the EPS-OPS faction.
Speaking to the media in Mannargudi, Dhivakaran said “I am not in favour of Dhinakaran’s party.” He claimed that without the words 'Anna' and 'Dravida', there cannot be a party and added that he “cannot accept Dhinakaran’s party. We are always for Amma’s party”.
In an apparent reference to Dhinakaran, he said there is no way he will support his nephew in the elections and added that “if need be, I will contest 2019 elections under the Amma Forum.”
Responding to a particular question on supporting Dhinakaran in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, he said, “there is no chance of us working together. No one can stay in a place where there is no respect. This AMMK of Dhinakaran was launched secretly, without informing any district secretaries or subordinates in the party. It has been launched and run only for Dhinakaran’s family members. He wants to be his own king and his own minister to avoid questioning by anyone in the future. He doesn’t want even the fragrance of the AIADMK to touch his party,” Dhivakaran said. However, he clarified that he is not in support of the EPS camp as reported by some sections of the media.
It all started when Vetrivel, one of TTV’s lieutenant, in a Facebook post, said Dhinakaran will not hesitate to throw out anyone who acts against the interests of the party. In a direct reference Sasikala’s brother Dhivakaran, Vetrivel said Dhivakaran and his son Jeyanandh are acting in connivance with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) against Dhinakaran.
Replying to the post, Jeyanandh issued a rejoinder to TTV Camp for attacking him and his father. “Vetrivel’s FB post was the words Dhinakaran and they are not loyal to Chinnamma,” he said in the statement.
The next day, speaking to his supporters in Thanjavur, Dhinakaran, in an apparent reference to Dhivakaran and his son, said, “I will not hesitate to expel anyone from the party who tries to cheat me, even if they are my relatives.”
After this remark, the Mannargudi imbroglio began to grow out of proportion. Sources close to the family say the mega IT raids in the several properties of Mannargudi family months ago has led to this tussle. While there were frictions within the family immediately after the raids, sources say everything was put on hold owing to the deteriorating health of M. Natarajan and his death later, and the visit of Sasikala.
According to sources, Sasikala wanted unity in the family and when she was out on parole for 15 days after the death of Natarajan, she attempted to end the rift in the family. She, however, was unable to diffuse the tension between Dhinakaran and Dhivakaran.
It is in the context of the raids and the consequences of these that Dhivakaran wants to ensure that the family is not in trouble anymore, and also go soft on the ruling parties both in the state and at the Centre. The severing of ties with Dhinakaran, according to sources, will help Dhivakaran save from the troubles caused by the central agencies.
In the meantime, fissures in Mannargudi family had led to speculations in the O. Panneerselvam (OPS) camp. With the news spreading that Dhivakaran is in favour of EPS, even though he denied such reports, sources say the OPS camp huddled into an emergency meeting to discuss the consequences of Dhivakaran backing EPS.
Sources in OPS camp say there is strong feeling within the camp that Dhivakaran has strong connections to the state and Union government. “Dhivakaran is operated by powerful people in the ruling parties in the state and Centre to take on TTV Dhinakaran in the near future,” said a senior member in the OPS camp.
With the rift and the secret meetings, the Tamil Nadu politics is likely to witness yet another episode of interesting factional feud.