Another ADMK revolt, Sasikala MLAs in Pondy

Chennai/Puducherry, Aug 22

Upset over the merger of rival factions of the AIADMK, MLAs loyal to sidelined party supremo VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran today told Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao they had lost confidence in Chief Minister EK Palaniswami, prompting the Opposition DMK to demand a trust vote.

Edit: Mergers & manoeuvres

“We are going to initiate efforts to bring in a new CM with the help of our supporting MLAs,” a Dhinakaran supporter said after meeting  the Governor, a day after the merger of factions led by Palaniswami and rebel O Panneerselvam, a former CM.

The MLAs backing Dhinakaran later left for a resort in neighbouring Puducherry.   There was no clarity on their number. The Dhinakaran camp had yesterday claimed the support of 25 MLAs.

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Raj Bhavan sources said that Rao had met Dhinakaran loyalists but declined to give any details. 

In the 234-member Assembly, the AIADMK has 134 MLAs, excluding the Speaker. Late chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s RK Nagar constituency is still vacant. The DMK has 89 seats and its allies Congress eight and IUML one. Principal Opposition party DMK wrote to the Governor, demanding that the Assembly be convened and Palaniswami asked to prove majority.

DMK working president and Leader of the Opposition  MK Stalinwrote: “Consequent upon identical letters given by 22 MLAs to the Governor expressing lack of confidence in the CM an unprecedented constitutional crisis has erupted”. — PTI