AIADMK faction merger talks may get delayed

No one seems to know when the merger talks between the two factions of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK will start.

"The merger talk is like a Tamil movie song... It will happen some may say but won't happen. It won't happen some will say but will happen," a leader in former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's faction said.

"The talks will surely happen. But it may take some time. The talks may not happen soon," he added.

After the death of Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa last year, the AIADMK split into two factions - one led by party General Secretary V.K. Sasikala now in jail for corruption and the other by Panneerselvam.

The Election Commission has frozen the party's "two leaves" symbol.

The Panneerselvam camp wants Sasikala, AIADMK Deputy General Secretary T.T.V. Dinakaran and their family members ousted from the party and a CBI probe into Jayalalithaa's death before the merger talks begin.

The Sasikala faction has said there was a petition in the Election Commission challenging her election as the General Secretary. And it was for the poll panel to decide.

Meanwhile, Panneerselvam has decided to go on mass contact programme across the state starting on May 5.

On the other hand, Finance Minister D. Jayakumar said the ruling faction was open for talks with the Panneerselvam group.