Chennai, March 3 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami has communicated to the BJP national leadership that his party will not have any truck with the "Mannargudi Family" led by V.K. Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran.
This, according to highly placed sources in the AIADMK was conveyed by the Chief Minister with the support and connivance of Deputy Chief minister O.Panneerselvam to the BJP national general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu electioneering, C.T. Ravi.
Sources also told that the Chief Minister has communicated that any support garnered from Sasikala would be counterproductive for the AIADMK, BJP alliance as there are a lot of negative factors associated with the "Mannargudi Family".
Meanwhile, AIADMK leadership scoffed at rumours that the state Deputy Chief Minister and party strong man Panneerselvam will support Sasikala in the post election scenario if a hung Assembly comes in place.
A senior AIADMK functionary while speaking to over telephone said, "These rumours are owing to the fact that Sasikala and Panneerselvam are from the same community Thevars. This does not mean that Panneerselvam will be seeking the support of Sasikala. The AIADMK decision to stay away from Sasikala and her family has been a conscious one taken by the party leadership and there is no reason why the decision is to be changed now."
Sources also said that the Chief Minister had also communicated to the top leadership of the BJP, including party national president J.P. Nadda and the Union Home minister Amit Shah that any truck with Sasikala faction will not do any good to the party.
Palaniswami, according to party sources, told the BJP national leaders that the AIADMK alliance have promoted the welfare schemes conducted by the state government in the past five years and that this was more than enough for the party to win the April 6 Assembly elections.
The AIADMK has also conducted a survey among the rural populace on the performance of the state government and, according to party sources has received a positive feedback on the performance.
According to this survey, conducted in the second week of February, there is not much anti-incumbency factor against the AIADMK government even after being in power for the past ten years.
While this is a do or die battle for the DMK and AIADMK, the Chief Minister and his team are highly confident that the party will come back to power and hence the tough stand against Sasikala and family.
( With inputs from IANS )
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