AIADMK crisis live updates: 130 MLAs taken to secret location in a bus; Governor Rao to arrive in Chennai tomorrow

LIVE UPDATES

7:47 pm: Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will arrive in Chennai tomorrow afternoon.

7.00 pm:  Kamal Hasan urges co-stars to take stand, Madhavan weighs in (READ)

We’ve wasted our freedom years gambling our fanchise on wrong& corrupt politicians. Let’s stop blaming them Lets become incorruptable.

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 8, 2017

4.50 pm: BJP MP Subramanian Swamy criticizes governor’s inaction over the TN crisis.

Nobody knows where he (governor) is, what MLAs can do, they have to come and meet President: Subramanian Swamy, BJP on TN political crisis pic.twitter.com/jLRgfX6XZl

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 8, 2017

4. 35 pm: Support to Panneerselvam was issue-based: DMK

4:10 pm: 130 AIADMK MLAs (Sasikala supporters) being taken in a bus to a Hotel: Sources

1:22 pm: After Amma’s demise, the supporters asked me to take the responsibility; I couldn’t as I was very sad, says VK Sasikala

WATCH VIDEO | After Open Revolt Against Sasikala Natarajan, O Panneerselvam Sacked As AIADMK Treasurer

“Neither AIADMK nor me will be cowed down,” says Sasikala

A true AIADMK worker will not go against the welfare of the party, nobody can divide us: Sasikala

History has shown us that traitors have never won. We will show the traitors the true path of Amma: Sasikala

It became my responsibility to put an end to the wrongdoings which Panneerselvam had done: Sasikala

Our opponents are after us and spearheading whatever is happening today, but nothing can stop us from following Amma’s path: Sasikala

I could sense the acts of CM who completely connived with the opposition: Sasikala

Panneerselvam colluded with the party which Amma fought against: Sasikala

1:12 pm: Sasikala is reported to address the press shortly.

1:07 pm: OPS confident that all the MLAs are with him.

1:05 pm: Sasikala at the party headquarters

#WATCH: #SasikalaNatarajan at AIADMK party headquarters in Chennai after #AIADMK MLAs meeting. pic.twitter.com/14VxRnh3HZ

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 8, 2017

WATCH VIDEO | 5 Lesser Known Facts About Sasikala Natarajan

12:25 pm: No force can break the unity of AIADMK, says Sasikala

11:50 am: Election will be held soon for the ‘permanent’ General Secretary post of AIADMK: Panneerselvam

11:43 am: Sasikala has reached the party headquarters in Chennai to take stock of the MLA support for her. It is still not clear in whose favour the scales are tilted right now.

11:20 am: I will accept Deepa’s (J Jayalalithaa’s niece) support, if offered: OPS to media

10:57 am: Panneerselvam spoke to the media. Here are some highlights:

‘There has been no instance where I have betrayed the party while in power or in opposition’

‘If party cadres want me to resign, I will’

‘Always followed Amma’s path, she wanted me to be CM’

‘Health queries regarding Amma raised in recent past, its the duty of the state government to inquire, recommended an inquiry commission’

‘I will meet the Governor once he is back’

‘I will prove my strength in the Assembly’

‘Whoever extends support to Tamil people, we will accept it’ on Centre’s alleged support to him

10:35 am: Senior leader Maitreyan has reached the OPS residence for a meeting. He is said to favour OPS over Sasikala. He told NDTV that Amma always wanted OPS as chief minister.

10:20 am: This is AIADMK’s internal matter: Rajnath Singh to India Today

10:15 am: ANI is reporting that there is more police deployment at Jaya’s memorial at Marina

10:07 am: Governor is constitutional authority. He’s examining aspects and will take appropriate decision. There’s no reason to criticise anyone: Venkaiah Naidu tells ANI

10:05 am: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has supposedly gone against his party and pitched for VK Sasikala as the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu. He told ANI that the President must intervene and ensure Sasikala takes oath quickly.

9:23 am: Pictures from the Jaya memorial at Marina Beach

Visuals from #jayalalithaa‘s memorial at Chennai’s Marina Beach pic.twitter.com/mzjqbjzwB9

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 8, 2017

WATCH VIDEO | O. Panneerselvam: 10 Things You Need To Know

9:20 am: How can we support Panneerselvam when he’s in opposition? We’re major party and we want to come back to power and expose AIADMK’s wrongdoings: Elangovan to ANI

9:10 am: How can DMK be behind it? How can they blame us for their in-fight? Nothing new in AIADMK: TKS Elangovan, DMK tells ANI

9:08 am: Newly-appointed party treasurer and Minister Dindigul Srinivasan tells The Hindu that all the party MLAs are behind VK Sasikala

9:00 am: There is a force behind everything that’s happening, says OPS

8:50 am: Panneerselvam tells ANI he visited the Apollo hospital daily to inquire about Jayalalithaa’s condition and but was not allowed to meet her even once. He added that he could not say much on Sheela Balakrishnan’s resignation except that she was already given an extension.

Read: BJP does wait and watch as rebellion plays out in AIADMK

8:25 am: Governor Vidyasagar Rao to submit report to centre on political crisis in Tamil Nadu

8:00 am: O Panneerselvam likely to meet Governor Vidyasagar Rao

Background to OPS rebellion

According to the version of events he narrated, Panneerselvam said he was not informed in advance about the legislature party meeting held on Sunday and the decision to elect Sasikala as the leader was communicated to him at the last moment.

Read: In Chennai twilight zone, all eyes on Governor and who is with who

In response to his rebellion, Sasikala sacked him from the post of treasurer late Tuesday night and said that he was hand in gloves with DMK.  “DMK is behind O Pannerselvam. In recent assembly session opposition leader and O Pannerselvam exchanged warmth, they were smiling at each other,” she said. Sasikala also projected a united face while waving supporters outside Poes Garden. She claimed that she did not force Panneerselvam to quit, describing the former’s allegation as incorrect. “No confusion or problem in our party, we are united like a family,” she said.

Reacting to the ousting, Panneerselvam said the post was given to him by Amma and it could not be taken away from him. “I have carried forward the post of treasurer which was entrusted upon me by Amma & I think no one can take it away from me,” he said. He also said that it was not “a crime” to smile at the opposition leader, retorting to Sasikala’s allegations of him being with the DMK.