19 Dinakaran loyalists say they want EPS out as CM

The opposition D MK on Tuesday demanded an immediate floor test in Tamil Nadu after a faction of the ruling party ML As told the governor they had lost confidence in chief minister Edappadi Palanisami, adding to political uncertainty in the southern state.

Tamil Na du is battling a political crisis since December following the death of all-powerful chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who was also the leader of the AIADMK.

The party’s two factions came together on Monday after O Pannerselvam was sworn as the deputy CM but a third group of 19 MLAs, loyal to sacked AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Din aka ran, rose in re volt against the merger.

“We are going to initiate efforts to bring in a new chief minister with the help of our supporting MLAs,” Andipatti MLA Thanga Tamil S el van said after meeting C Vidyasagar Rao.

By evening, Dinakaran had corralled his MLAs to a private seaside resort in neighbouring Puducherry, which is ruled by the Congress.

Twenty rooms have been booked at The Windflower Resorts and Spa for the MLA sin a re-run of a drama the state witnessed in February. The MLAS also urged the governor to “start the constitutional process” as the government was reduced to a “minority”, sources said.