Five more MPs support Panneerselvam, total goes up to 10 — AIADMK crisis

Exodus from VK Sasikala camp continued on Sunday, with five members of Parliament and an MLA pledging support to Tamil Nadu’s caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam by midday.

The meeting came on a day after Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Pandiarajan, three other sitting parliamentarians and veteran leader C Ponnaiyan switched to the side of interim Mr Panneerselvam’s in what they say is “to save AIADMK”.

Addressing the legislators, Sasikala, who had sacked Panneerselvam from the post of treasurer last night, launched a no-holds-barred attack on him, saying he had betrayed the party and “fully merged” with DMK which Jayalalithaa had fought all her life. A series of tweets from the official handle of the party alleged that the contents of the letter are fake and was never written by Sasikala. The governor was in New Delhi on Monday and is now in Mumbai, reportedly consulting on legal aspects as the political crisis in Tamil Nadu deepened in the aftermath of the 5 December death of J. Jayalalithaa, chief minister for over 14 years.

As per as AIDMK rules, elections were called as temporary general secretary could only be appointed by party council.

Tamil director, producer, and actor Manobala extends support to Panneerselvam. The AIADMK chief is a co-accused in the case and an adverse verdict will bar her from running for any public office, thereby putting her out of the race for chief ministership.

While Panneerselvam was accompanied by AIAADMK presidium chairman M Madhusoodhan, Sasikala took with her 10 senior ministers. To know how Panneerselvam has been warding off the Sasikala manoeuvres, till now, read this report.

The Supreme Court had recently indicated that it could deliver a judgement soon in a disproportionate assets case against Sasikala, who became general secretary of AIADMK after the death of Jayalalithaa. “Those who made such efforts then are doing it today also”, she said, in an apparent reference to Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who has revolted against her, being a member of the faction led by Janaki, the widow of Ramachandran, then. Describe the strong relationship between the two she further added Chinamma always used to see to it that political pressure and tensions do not even touch Jayalalithaa, and took everything on her. Sasikala said that all the MLAs are fine and happy.

He said that party legislators will have the chance to vote as per their conscience and he would be able to prove his majority.

The power struggle reached at new peak on Thursday when governor Vidyasagar Rao returned to Chennai and met both claimants to the legacy of late chief minister Jayalalithaa.