Chennai: As noose tightens around AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran, equations within the ruling AIADMK faction began changing with many supporters deserting the Mannargudi Mafia. Other than the couple of die hard Dinakaran supporters, not many MLAs or ministers even appeared to speak in favour of their “big boss”, who was now remanded in police custody for five day for interrogation in the bribery case in Delhi.

On Wednesday, the number of Dinakaran supporters further dwindled as the EPS camp people began speaking more enthusiastically about merger. But the O Panneerselvam camp played hard to get and appeared in no hurry to commence formal merger talks.

Rumours doing the rounds indicated that the OPS camp was insisting on the post of chief minister as also the post of general secretary, so that there is effective coordination between the party and government as it was during Jayalalithaa’s regime.

“The formal talks are yet to begin,” S Semmalai, senior AIADMK leader from the OPS camp told media persons. However, according to sources, back channel talks were on. Last night, after Dinakaran’s arrest appeared very imminent, teams from both the sides met for nearly five hours at a guest house on Tuesday late night.

It was few hours after that late night meeting that AIADMK workers pulled down all Sasikala’s posters and cut outs from the party headquarters, indicating that the party was ready to dump the Mannargudi Mafia.

Pudukottai MLA Rajashekaran appeared at the residence of the former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam amid speculations that more were on their way from EPS camp.

The only person who held a brief for Dinakaran was Nanjil Sampath, an MLA considered closest to the beleaguered leader, who questioned the need for any merger talks as EPS had the support of 122 MLAs and the government was absolutely safe.

But, clearly, he is in a minority, as there is no opposition to the merger. If not anything, there is a sense of urgency in the EPS camp for merger. According to sources, the OPS camp continued to demand chief ministership as well as party post of general secretary.

The EPS camp showed its eagerness for formal starting the merger talks, but to no avail on Wednesday.

Said CV Shanmugam, a state minister, “we are ready for talks, at any time the OPS camp is willing to.”

The EPS camp was holding a meeting of the party’s district leaders, to prepare them for the merger talks as also bring them into the picture.