MLAs loyal to Sasikala revolt against Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami; DMK demands trust vote

MLAs loyal to Saikala and Dhinakaran on Tuesday told the Governor that they no longer had confidence in TN CM.

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Chennai: A day after the patch-up between the camps led by Palaniswami and rebel leader Panneerselvam, ​MLAs loyal to AIADMK leaders Saikala and TTV Dhinakaran on Tuesday told the Governor that they no longer had confidence in Chief Minister.

"We are going to initiate efforts to bring in a new CM with the help of our supporting MLAs," Dhinakaran supporter and Andipatti MLA Thanga Tamil Selvan told reporters following a meeting with Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao.

The Dhinakaran camp had yesterday claimed the support of 25 AIADMK MLAs.

Raj Bhavan sources confirmed that the meeting took place this morning, but did not divulge details, including the number of members in the delegation and the nature of their interaction with Rao, as per PTI.

"We have informed the Governor that we don't have confidence in the Chief Minister," Selvan said after the MLAs owing allegiance to Dhinakaran, nephew of jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, met Rao.

Of the 234-member Assembly, the AIADMK has 134 MLAs excluding the Speaker. Late chief minister Jayalalithaa's RK Nagar constituency is still vacant.

The DMK has 89 seats followed by its allies Congress with eight and IUML one seat.

Seeking to capitalise on the developments, principal Opposition DMK shot off a letter to the Governor asking him to convene the Assembly and direct Palaniswami to prove his majority in the House.

Asked about the possibility of the Palaniswami government facing a trust vote, Selvan said that was "our intention."

"Our intention is that there should be a trust vote. So after that a new CM will be in place," he claimed.

MLAs supporting Dhinakaran have been on a warpath against Palaniswami, questioning the merger of the Amma faction-led by him and Panneerselvam's Puratchi Thalaivi Amma faction yesterday.

Tamil Selvan criticised Palaniswami for aligning with Panneerselvam, who had been critical of the government till very recently.

"The 122 (AIADMK) MLAs had made Palaniswami CM because Chinnamma (Sasikala) asked us to do so. Panneerselvam had voted against the government (in the February 18 trust vote). "He wanted to split the party and topple the government. Yet you give the Deputy Chief Minister's post to him. What is the need for that now?" he asked.

He also expressed anguish over efforts to remove Sasikala from the party, saying it was she who ensured the continuation of the AIADMK government following Panneerselvam's revolt in February last.

Earlier, in his reaction to the merger, Dhinakaran dubbed it as a "betrayal" of party general secretary Sasikala.

In a series of tweets last night, he also questioned the durability of the arrangement.

"It is not a merger. It is a commercial agreement reached for self-interest and hunger for positions and to protect posts," Dhinakaran charged.

He also claimed that not only the AIADMK cadres, but even the public would not forgive "those who betrayed the general secretary who made Pannerselvam and Palaniswami the chief ministers after the death of Jayalalithaa".

His tweets came hours after the factions merged and Panneerselvam, who had challenged Sasikala's leadership, was appointed the deputy CM and his close aide K Pandiarajan a minister.

(With PTI inputs)