Sasikala loyalists want CM removed

Infighting in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) continued on Tuesday, despite two factions coming together a day earlier.

Nineteen members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) backing V K Sasikala’s nephew TT V Dhinakaran met Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday and asked for dismissal of chief minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami.

Factions headed by Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam had merged on Monday. It was decided to call a meeting to dismiss Sasikala, who is in a Bengaluru jail after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case. But Sasikala loyalists told the governor they were the ones who elected Palaniswami as chief minister and they have now lost trust in him. They revolting MLAs did not withdraw support to the government.

The Opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has demanded that the Governor immediately ask Palaniswami to prove his majority on the floor of the House. M K Stalin, DMK working president, alleged that the government headed by Palaniswami had lost the majority.

The MLAs backing Dhinakaran said Palaniswami was abusing his power. After meeting the Governor, most of these MLAs were taken to a hotel in Puducherry, according to reports. Of the total 235 elected seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, AIADMK has 134 members, while DMK has 89 MLAs. The balance includes eight from Congress, one IUML, the Speaker, one nominated member and one vacant seat (Jayalalithaa’s). The ruling party needs the support of 117 MLAs to win a no-confidence motion. At least 24 MLAs will have to express no confidence in the ruling party in writing to the Governor.