On a day Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao flew into Chennai, calls urging him to initiate action to bring an end to the stalemate that has gripped the State grew shriller.
While the rebel MLAs under T.T.V. Dhinakaran said they would meet the President if the Governor did not respond to their letter communicating withdrawal of support to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Leader of the Opposition and DMK working president M.K. Stalin said his partymen would meet the Governor on Sunday morning.
Addressing the media, AIADMK MLA Thangatamilselvan said that if the Governor doesn’t respond within two days, Dhinakaran loyalists would meet the President and submit a memorandum seeking his intervention.
"We have the support of a large number of MLAs. They will be under threat if we announce their names at this point of time. As of now, we have 21 MLAs on our side. We do not want the incumbent Chief Minister to continue," he said. However, we are ready to extend our support to OPS if he wants to become the CM," he said.
He added that the MLAs had come to Puducherry, leaving behind their family and the people of their constituency. "We are not here to rejoice but to sacrifice for the growth and welfare of the party," he said.
Meanwhile, two more AIADMK MLAs joined the 18 MLAs holed up at the Sunway Manor Hotel in Puducherry on Saturday. Vriddachalam MLA V.T. Kalaiselvan and Aranthangi MLA Rathinasabapathy, who checked in on Saturday morning, said that the Chief Minister has to answer why he decided to merge with the OPS faction and offered him the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
"How can they make MaFoi K. Pandiarajan a minister when there are so many MLAs who had sacrificed for the party? It was Chinnamma Sasikala who protected the party. She will be our permanent general secretary. It is unethical to remove her from the post. Instead, the MLAs should deliberate and work together towards bringing back Amma’s rule," they said.
They added that nearly 122 MLAs stood in solidarity in the Assembly to bring Amma’s rule back. "We were also among the 122. What we have started now is the real fight for justice. We will not stop till we usher in a new rule in the State," they said.
Cong. to join in
The Congress Legislative Party will also be represented when DMK legislators meet Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday morning to demand the convening of the Assembly for a floor test.
"Congress Legislative Party leader K.R. Ramasamy will accompany the delegation if he is in Chennai. If he is not available, another MLA will travel [with the delegation]. We will raise the same demands as those of the DMK," Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Su. Thirunavukkarasar said.
