Chennai, Feb 9: Day 1 of OPS vs Sasi belonged to V K Sasikala. The legislature party meeting she convened was attended by at least 120 AIADMK MLAs accor ding to intel reports (out of a total of 134). Her camp said 129 MLAs attended the meeting.
Five MLAs including former minister S P Shanmuganathan publicly cast their lot with OPS.Most of the ministers were rooting for Sasi, it seemed, while support from MGR acolyte P H Pandian, former minister K P Munusamy, and Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan came as a shot in the arm for Panneerselvam. To keep her flock together after the meeting, Sasikala moved the ministers and the MLAs to a couple of Chennai hotels, and many of them were out of cell phone reach.
On Wednesday, party officebearers had gathered in strength at the Lloyds Road AIADMK office although the rankand-file was largely missing there. Sasikala supporters, visibly angry, took turns to denounce OPS at the office. "We are steadfast on making Chinnamma the chief minister of the state," said Rajenthra Bhalaji, dairy development minister. It was Panneerselvam who proposed the name of Sasikala for the post of legislature party leader, TN assembly deputy speaker Pollachi Jayaraman said, adding, "MGR's heir was Amma and Amma's heir is Chinnamma."
At his home a few kilometres away, OPS was optimistic, telling reporters that several legislators have been in touch with him over phone. MLAs S P Shanmuganathan (Srivaikundam), K Manickam (Sholavandan), V C Arukutty (Kavundampalayam), Manoranjitham (Uthangarai) and A Manoharan (Vasudevanallur) made public their stance by visiting OPS. "People of TN voted for Amma. After OPS made a statement in Marina, the groundswell of support from the grassroot cadres and public at large is overwhelmingly in support of OPS," Maitreyan told TOI. Party functionaries have been getting calls from both the camps, soliciting their support. "I went to the party office since I got a call from Sasikala's side. But I feel only OPS can carry forward Amma's legacy," said Aspire K Swaminathan, former I-T wing secretary of the party. Madurai North MLA V V Rajan Chellappa said there was no question over who can succeed Amma. "It is only Chinnamma."In Periyakulam, Paneerselvam's hometown, locals tore the photographs of Sasikala, and said the moment had come to vent their anger.
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