Dhinakaran meets Sasikala in prison

Bengaluru: A day after announcing his return to active party work, sidelined AIADMK (Amma) Deputy General Secretary T T V Dhinakaran today met his aunt and party chief V K Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara central prison here.

Emerging out of the jail premises, Dhinakaran said he enquired about Sasikala’s health and discussed about party affairs with her.

Sasikala is serving four-year jail term in a disproportionate wealth case.

Dhinakaran told reporters that he would work towards strengthening the party by touring across the state.

He had yesterday announced that he would resume party work from August 4 after a two-month hiatus and embark on a state-wide tour to facilitate efforts for merger of rival factions.

His comments assume significance as a camp led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had earlier kept him and Sasikala from the affairs of the party and government.

Though Dhinakaran had then said that he would keep away from the party work, he later questioned the authority of the ministers to sideline him.

However, he said Sasikala had asked him to give two months time for the merger of the factions which would end on August 4.

The ruling camp had yesterday sought to brush aside Dhinakaran’s announcement on returning to party work, saying Palaniswami continued to guide both the party and the government.

—PTI