OPS, EPS announce ADMK merger; Sasikala to be ''expelled''

Chennai, August 21

Rebel All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) leader O Panneerselvam and Chief Minister K Palaniswami have announced merger of their factions, hours after sources said that the latter will expel party chief VK Sasikala.

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O. Panneerselvam, a former chief minister himself, will take over as Palaniswami's deputy and will take charge of the state's finance ministry, He will be sworn in at 4.30 pm on Monday.

“O.Panneerselvam will be convener for this party,” Edappadi Palaniswami, popularly known as EPS, said announcing the merger. “Our first priority will be to retrieve the two leaves symbol. We will fulfill all the promises made by Amma.”

He also said an 11-member coordination committee will run the party.

In a resolution on August 10, the Chief Minister’s camp had already delegitimised Deputy General Secretary and Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran setting the stage for a merger.

Dhinakaran on Sunday flayed the merger attempt as a drama. The Deputy General Secretary’s faction had said their leader “has the ability to put a full stop” to whatever decision that could be taken related to a merger.

Meanwhile, actor Kamal Hassan, a cvacal critic of the party, on Monday took a jibe at the merger, calling it "fooling" people.

"Gandhi cap, Kashmiri cap and now buffoon's cap. Have you had enough or do you want more? Tamils, please answer," Hassan tweeted. Agencies