TTV Dinakaran’s release on bail and the hero’s welcome he got from cadres of the party has sparked off a flurry of activity with ministers and senior party functionaries holed up in series of meetings. Secretariat on Monday was humming with activity, following which a senior minister said that the decision to keep party deputy general secretary and his relatives away from the party was final.

This announcement by finance minister D Jayakumar came on the day Dinakaran called on his aunt and AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala at Parappanna central jail in Bengaluru.

“The Party and Ministers are continuing with the April 17th decision to keep Dinakaran and his family out of party and Government,” Jayakumar told media persons after a meeting of council of ministers.

“We don’t have any contact with them, we are not backed by them. He (Dinakaran) and his people are not involved in the Government and Party. We will not meet Dinakaran,” said Jayakaumar after holding two hours meeting with senior Ministers at his office.

Even as the ministers were meeting in Chennai, Dinakaran was holding discussions with his aunt Sasikala in jail. The move is being seen as his first step towards taking over the affairs of the party.

Before leaving from Chennai Dinakaran told reporters that he remains the number two in the ruling AIADMK party and it is his duty to unite the party.

It may be noted, Dinakaran, who was sacked by Jayalalithaa from the party, was reinstated by Sasikala as Deputy General Secretary before going to jail to serve a four year sentence after she was held guilty in disproportionate assets case. .

On April 17, in a major development in the politics in Tamil Nadu, majority of the ministers in the State government came out against the associating Sasikala and her relatives with the party and the government.

The stand of the ruling AIADMK faction to keep distance from Sasikala and her family was firmed up after merger talks with O Panneerselvam camp began. The OPS camp was firm that Sasikala and her family be expelled from the party and a probe ordered into the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

“Considering the wish of the 1.5 crore party members and the people of Tamil Nadu, the MLAs, ministers and the leaders of AIADMK have decided to keep TTV Dinakaran family away from the party and the government”.

When asked whether Sasikala will continue as the general secretary, finance minister Jayakumar said a committee will be constituted shortly to take care of the day to day affairs of the party.

Dinakaran questioned that why both factions, one led by late J Jayalalithaa’s close aide O Panneerselvam and other led by Chief Minsiter and other senior Ministers, have not merged yet. He noted, Panneerselvam faction said that unless Sasikala and family is kept out from the Party affairs and from the Government they will not come for dialogue.