Tamil Nadu crisis LIVE: Sasikala leaves Chennai resort after meeting MLAs, another MLA joins OPS camp

AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala on Saturday chaired a meeting with the AIADMK MLAs about the prevailing situation at the Golden Bay Resort in Kuvathur. Meanwhile, in a blow to Sasikala, another senior party member Ponnaiyan has joined the O Panneerselvam camp today. In a statement to the media, with OPS by his side, he said, “In present situation person who has been with the party for so many years and assumed duty of CM for 2 times is only OPS.” Tight security was maintained outside the resort where AIADML MLAs were present. According to reports, village residents have complained that their roads are being blocked and street-lights are switched off at night, all to ensure the MLAs can remain locked in. Earlier in the day, she sought an appointment with Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to parade MLAs supporting her before him.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s education minister K Pandiarajan joined his dissident camp, becoming the first sitting minister to do so.”My belief is that here is the man who has captured the hearts of the masses. Amma’s legacy will continue to rest on his able shoulders and that is the reason I am here,” Pandiarajan said. “Our number will be more than what it is today and it will land at 135,” he added.

06. 20 pm: O Panneerselvam is the only person who can lead the party, no one else can including Sasikala Natarajan: C. Ponnaiyan.

06. 15 pm: In present situation person who has been with the party for so many years & assumed duty of CM for 2 times is only O Panneerselvam: C. Ponnaiyan

06. 00 pm: Entire party is behind V K Sasikala, she is going to be the CM of TamilNadu, waiting for the governor’s appointment: Gobichettipalayam MLA K A Sengottaiyan

05. 26 pm: Senior AIADMK leader C. Ponnaiyan meets O Panneerselvam, extends support to him.

05. 25 pm: AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala leaves Golden Bay resort after holding a meet with MLAs in Kuvathur.

05. 20 pm: Sasikala surrounded by supporters at Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur where MLAs are present, slogans raised in her support.

05. 17 pm: Slogans raised in support of Sasikala inside the Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur

05. 16 pm: VK Sasikala chaired a meeting with party MLAs on the next set of actions to be taken, at Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur.

05. 15 pm: Inside visuals of the Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur, VK Sasikala present along with MLAs

05. 11 pm: Security has also been tightened at Raj Bhavan with heavy police deployment.

05. 05 pm: Police force deployment outside Golden Bay Resort in Kuvathur where  V K Sasikala is holding a discussing with party MLAs.

04. 55 pm: I am confident of all leaders who care about Tamil people will come and join us. Amma’s soul is leading us, truth will win: O Panneerselvam.

04. 50 pm: Amma is confident that I’ll look after AIADMK. Relentless work by Amma has made AIADMK third largest party. Amma is with us now. She is showing us betrayers of our party. People who think they can separate our party that has 1.5 crore people will only face defeat: AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala.

04. 45 pm: Drama is coming to a close soon. I’m at least in touch with 20 of the MLAs, so I don’t think phones are switched off: K Pandiarajan

04. 40 pm: Extending his support to O Panneerselvam, Tamil Nadu education minister K Pandiarajan siad,”Our number will be more than what it is today and it will land at 135.”

04. 10 pm: V K Sasikala starts meeting with MLAs at the resort.

03. 51 pm: V K Sasikala reaches Golden Bay Resort in Kuvathur to meet MLAs.

03. 40 pm: Visual of Golden Bay Resort in Kuvathur where MLAs are lodged, V K Sasikala en route.

03. 30 pm: O Panneerselvam’ s camp has 3 MPs, 7 MLAs including CM and a Minister while V K Sasikala’s camp has the majority, numbers remain unclear.

03.00 pm: Sasikala Natarajan will be meeting party MLAs today with more assurances and promises.

02. 45 pm: V K Sasikala leaves Poes Garden for J Jayalalithaa’s memorial at Marina Beach, later she’ll go to Koovathur resort where MLAs are lodged.

02. 32 pm: We urge the Prime Minister and Home Minister to safeguard Tamil Nadu from forces which are all out against us and can take law and order into their hands: AIADMK MP V Maithreyan.

02. 30 pm: Before crossing over to join the O Panneerselvam camp on Saturday, Tamil Nadu Education Minister K Pandiarajan had said two days ago that Panneerselvam’s suggestions had not been overruled and that he had given his consent to all decisions taken by AIADMK recently. In a statement, he had said all 135 MLAs have given their letters of consent in support of VK Sasikala to be elected as the legislative party leader, including Panneerselvam.

02. 25 pm: Pandiarajan, who is an MLA from Avadi, had tweeted hours ago, “Will surely listen to the collective voice of my voters & decide in a way to uphold the dignity of Amma’s memory & unity of AIADMK !” in what many thought was a change of heart.

02. 20 pm: O Panneerselvam welcomes state minister K Pandiarajan who has extended his support to him.

02. 10 pm: The minister, who was a strong supporter of Sasikala just a day ago, had refuted reports that MLAs were being kept captive by the party’s general secretary. In his earlier tweets, Pandiarajan had alleged that Panneerselvam was being instigated by the DMK to split the party and capture power.

02. 15 pm: I have extended my support to CM (OPS), our only aim is to keep party united: State Education minister K Pandiarajan

01.00 pm: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Saturday launched a signature campaign for converting late Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence into a memorial. Flanked by some AIADMK MPs and former ministers, Panneerselvam made the first signature to this effect at his Greenways Road residence.