As the Theatre of the Absurd unfolds in Tamil Nadu, indications are that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to induct three AIADMK ministers into the Union Cabinet shortly.
According to AIADMK sources in Chennai, Lok Sabha deputy speaker Thambidurai is likely to be inducted as a cabinet minister. Thambidurai has been playing a neutral role in the party dispute and has kept a safe distance from both O Panneerselvam group and Chief Minister Palaniswami group.
Initially, he was a strong supporter of Sasikala and wanted her to take over as Chief Minister, and this was not appreciated by the BJP top brass. The BJP leadership, it is understood, mildly pulled him up and told him to stay away from political games of Tamil Nadu since he was also holding a top government post.
He kept a low profile after ministers like Venkaiah Naidu spoke to him. Now, as a reward, it is stated that he would be made a union minister which would bring AIADMK officially into the NDA fold.
With both the factions uniting, BJP sees a strong support base in Parliament with about 50 MPs supporting them in both houses. When AIADMK becomes part of NDA, Thambidurai cannot continue as Deputy Speaker as this post is usually allocated to an Opposition party.
Who Else Are in Contention For Cabinet Berths?
Along with Thambidurai, another strong candidate for ministership is Dr Maithreyan, the Rajya Sabha member who has been a key member of the Panneerselvam camp and who has been in regular touch with the BJP leadership.
Interestingly, Jayalalalithaa, as long as she was alive, cold-shouldered Maithryan as she suspected him to be passing on a lot of information to the BJP ministers. Since he was in Rajya Sabha, she did not ask him to resign and let him complete the term and go out of orbit.
The third place could be a toss-up between K Venugopal, AIADMK Lok Sabha leader and Vaithialingam, a Rajya Sabha MP from the party.
Venugopal has been a staunch supporter of E Palaniswamy and has been largely non-controversial. His contender Vaithialingam hails from Thanjavur district and was once close to Sasikala’s younger brother Diwakaran and was expelled from the party by Jayalalithaa.
Now Vaithilingam is firmly with the Panneerselvam camp and doesn’t get along with Dianakaran, the party’s deputy general secretary who reports directly to Sasikala. He was also one of Jayalalithaa’s confidants and was a member of the four-member core group in the party when she was alive. He was a minister in Jaya’s cabinet till he lost the 2014 elections. As a consolation prize he was sent to the upper House by Jaya.
Thambidurai may get a cabinet rank and two others may be made ministers of state, according to indications.
MLAs Deflect to TTV Camp, Stalin Meets Governor
Significantly it was Vaithialingam who announced on Monday that Sasikala would be expelled from the party soon. Though both EPS and OPS were silent on the issue, three ministers including a Diwakaran loyalist, OS Manian, strongly protested and said it is his personal opinion.
TTV Dinakaran, who has gone into a shell feigning illness – ‘fever and body pain’— promptly retaliated on Tuesday by expelling Vaithialingam from AIADMK.
Dinakaran, who claims the support of 20 MLAs, has directed them to go to Puducherry and stay out of bounds for the media. This directive follows their meeting with Governor Vidyasagar Rao this morning where they submitted a signed letter withdrawing their support to the Palaniswamy government.
Opposition leader Stalin has also sent a letter to Governor asking for an immediate session of the Assembly and demanded that Palaniswamy be asked to take a vote of confidence. DMK seems to smell power as EPS may lose the vote if the 20 MLAs vote against the government.
In the 234-member TN Assembly, with Jayalalithaa’s death, there are only 233 members including the Speaker. Both OPS and EPS command a total support of 116 MLAS, while Dinakaran has the backing of 20 MLAs. 11DMK has 89 and Congress 8.
Going by the numbers, it looks like the government will survive if there are no more defections to the Dinakaran camp. If necessary, the Speaker’s vote will come to the government’s rescue.
BJP would like the government to continue and Amit Shah cancelling his Tamil Nadu visit is possibly to plan the strategy from Delhi.
Meanwhile, Governor Vidyasagar Rao has also left for Mumbai.
(The writer is Bengaluru-based senior journalist and visiting professor at a few colleges, teaching media and communication.)
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