Jaya’s Niece Deepa Joins OPS, Calls It Her “Political Entry”
Edapaddi Palaniswami has been named the new chief of the AIADMK.
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- Sasikala has been convicted in the disproportionate assets case
- She faces a prison sentence of three and a half years and can contest elections only six years after she completes her sentence
- Her camp has vowed to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict
- E Palanisamy, Sasikala’s proxy, is meeting the Tamil Nadu Governor
- After being convicted by the SC, Sasikala expelled O Panneerselvam from the party
- Palanisamy was named the new chief of the AIADMK
- The case against Jayalalithaa stands abated after her death
Stay tuned for all the live updates from Tamil Nadu!
Sasikala Seeks Time on Health Grounds
The MLAs who support Sasikala will be staying back at Golden Bay Resorts on Tuesday. She is yet to surrender and has sought time from the court on health grounds. she is likely to surrender on Wednesday.
Sasikala loyalist and member of AIADMK, Gokul Indra told CNN News 18:
Sasikala Speaks Again From Portico of Veda Nilayam
Speaking to the party cadre from the portico at Veda Nilayam, Poes Garden, Sasikala looked resilient and confident:
Sasikala's Emotional Speech Before Leaving the Resort
Before leaving the resort where the AIADMK MLAs in Sasikala’s camp are lodged, Sasikala made an emotional speech.
Breaking down as she left for Poes Garden, she said:
Referring to the DA case in which she has been convicted, she assured the MLAs that she would ‘take care of it.’
Deepa Joins Panneerselvam at Jaya's Memorial
Late Tuesday evening, O Panneerselvam visited Jayalalithaa’s memorial at Chennai’s Marina Beach. Besides his supporters, the interim Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was joined by Amma’s niece Deepa Jayakumar.
On being asked if this is her political entry, Deepa said, “Yes, this is.”
Meanwhile, Sasikala was seen leaving for Poes Garden from the Golden Bay resort.
According to media reports, she may surrender and go to Bengaluru tomorrow morning.
No Memorial for Amma After DA Verdict, Say Reports
According to media reports, a memorial for Jayalalithaa cannot be built by the state government as she has been convicted in the disproportionate assets case, though in light of her death, her conviction was abated.
This ruling would mean that her photograph cannot be displayed inside the Tamil Nadu assembly.
Simple Procedure Is the Solution, Says Attorney General
Speaking to CNN-News18, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the simplest solution is to call for a floor test, an advice he has already given the Governor.
He added that putting the anti-defection law in place is pointless as these are factions within the same party, and not two different rival parties.
DGP and Chennai Police Commissioner Meet Guv
After V Maitreyan and Palanisamy, Director-General of Police TK Rajendran and Chennai Police Commissioner George meet Tamil Nadu Governor to dsicuss law and order situation of the state.
OPS Camp to Meet TN Guv
V Maitreyan of the OPS camp will meet the Tamil Nadu Governor at 7 pm. He has already arrived at Raj Bhavan.
Speaking to CNN-News18, he asserted that the OPS camp has the majority and is not afraid of a floor test.
Sasikala Camp MLAs Speak Outside Resort
Speaking to the media outside the Golden Bay resort, MLAs of the Sasikala camp said they would come out of the resort when the Governor invites the new party chief to form the government.
Palanisamy-Guv Meet Over
The meeting between Palanisamy and the Tamil Nadu Governor is now over. It lasted about 10 minutes.
OPS supporter and AIADMK MLA, S Semmalai, said Palanisamy is not fit to be Chief Minister or be the new party chief.
E Palanisamy Reaches Raj Bhavan
Palanisamy has arrived at Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor. The Governor is likely to make an announcement about the next step from here on.
Sasikala Unlikely to Surrender Today
Sasikala is unlikely to surrender today as she has not received a copy of the verdict as yet, reports NDTV.
Sasikala and Family Don't Deserve to Lead People: Deepa Jayakumar
J Jayalalithaa’s niece, Deepa Jayakumar, said she was happy with the judgement in the DA case.
The BJP also commented on the political turmoil and said:
E Palanisamy to Meet Tamil Nadu Guv
Governor C Vidayasagar Rao will meet the newly elected AIADMK Legislature Party leader, E Palanisamy, and others at 5:40 pm at Raj Bhavan. Palanisamy has already left for the Governor’s residence.
Section 144 Imposed in Koovathur
Section 144 has been imposed in Koovathur, reports The News Minute. According to the provisions of Section 144, assembly of more than five people is prohibited.
This comes as the MLAs lodged in the Golden Bay resort refuse to leave until they meet the Governor, and reports of members of the OPS camp being stopped from meeting the rival Sasikala camp.
Updates From Outside Golden Bay Resort
Flanked by Supporters, OPS Camp Leaves for Golden Bay Resort
In a move that is sure to add to the ongoing drama, supporters of O Panneerselvam left to meet the 120 AIADMK MLAs “held hostage” at the Golden Bay Resort.
The delegation of MLAs and senior leaders includes School Education Minister K Pandiarajan.
However, latest reports claim that the delegation has been stopped outside the resort by the police.
Won't leave Resort Until Governor Comes to Meet Us, Say Camped MLAs
The political drama in Chennai looks to be intensifying after AIADMK MLAs camped at the Golden Bay Resort rejected requests to vacate the premises. The MLAs say they will not leave the resort until Governor Vidyasagar Rao comes to meet them.
TN Political Pot-Boiler: Sasikala Removes All Leaders Supporting OPS from Party
After expelling her rival O Panneerselvam from the party earlier in the day, AIADMK’s acting General Secretary VK Sasikala has now passed an order to revoke party membership of all members supporting the rival camp.
Minister K Pandiarajan, PH Pandian, N Vishvananthan and senior leader C Ponnaiyan are among the leaders who were expelled.
Sasikala Camp Plans to File Review Petition in SC
Sasikala loyalist and AIADMK MP, M Thambidurai, has said that they are exploring legal options and will file a review petition against the apex court’s verdict.
Have the Backing of the Party's MLAs: E Palanisamy
In his first press briefing as AIADMK chief, VK Sasikala’s proxy, E Palanisamy, claimed to have the backing of party MLAs. He added that he had approached the Governor and had sought a floor test in order to prove the strength of his faction.
Watch The Quint's Facebook Live on the Tamil Nadu Drama
Amma's Golden Rule Will Continue: O Panneerselvam
Speaking for the first time after the SC’s verdict in the DA case, that has all but ensured the success of his bid for the CM’s office, O Panneerselvam asserted that he will now carry out his duty to the state and the party.
Invoking Amma’s name he added:
Who Is E Palanisamy?
The MLA, from the Edappadi constituency in Salem, is regarded to be the party member that the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the late J Jayalalithaa, trusted the most in the Cabinet, after O Panneerselvam.
He currently serves as the Minister for Highways and Minor Ports in the Government of Tamil Nadu, a post he has held since 2016.
He was elected to Tamil Nadu Assembly four times – in 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016 – each time on an AIADMK ticket.
Read more on The Quint
Sasikala Names Edapaddi Palanisamy as Legislative Party Leader, Expels OPS From Party
VK Sasikala has also expelled O Panneerselvam from the AIADMK and has named Edapaddi Palanisamy as the leader of the party.
MLAs from the AIADMK faction have sent a letter to the Governor supporting Palanisamy as AIADMK's legislature party leader.
Let's Remember, Jayalalithaa Too Is Guilty in the DA Case
As Justices Pinaki Chandra Bose and Amitava Roy of the Supreme Court read out their verdict in the high-profile Disproportionate Assets case, not only were they ruling on the political future of VK Sasikala, but also the legacy of J Jayalalithaa.
While O Panneerselvam camp rejoiced the conviction of VK Sasikala an important point being ignored by them is that if the Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had been alive, she too could have been convicted in the court's order.
Read more on The Quint
Police Enters Golden Bay Resort to Apprehend VK Sasikala
A unit of Tamil Nadu Police with senior officials have entered the Golden Bay Resort to apprehend VK Sasikala. Two security buses have also been sent to the resort.
OPS Supporters Celebrate Sasikala's Conviction
Supporters of OPS gathered near his house on Tuesday to celebrate the verdict and to express support for the acting CM.
Sombre Atmosphere Outside Poes Garden
Poes Garden wore a desolate look after the verdict, with Sasikala supporters blaming OPS and PM Modi for Chinnamma’s conviction.
In a tweet from the official party handle, the AIADMK linked the verdict to Amma’s ordeal.
Watch: The Quint's Vikram Venkateswaran Reports from Poes Garden residence.
Supporters of Sasikala are blaming Prime Minister Modi for VK Sasikala’s conviction.
Politicians React to Sasikala's Conviction
Following the Supreme Court order, politicians took to social media to react to the conviction of VK Sasikala.
Senior BJP leaders, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed hope of the governor helping form a stable government in Tamil Nadu.
Congress leader Pawan Khera asked the OPS supporters if they realise that this was not simply a conviction of Sasikala, but also Jayalalithaa.
Rebel leader Sasikala Pushpa also reacted to Sasikala’s conviction:
Security Tightened in TN After Sasikala’s Conviction in DA Case
Security has been strengthened across Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court today convicted AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case.
Police presence was especially stepped up at a resort, about 80 kms from Chennai, where MLAs supporting her have been housed since the past few days. Read the full report here.
DMK Chief Stalin Reacts to Sasikala's Conviction
Reacting to the news of Saiskala’s conviction DMK’s acting General Secretary has said that after 21 years justice has finally prevailed, News18 reported.
What Next For VK Sasikala? The Quint Answers
Supreme Court Convicts Sasikala in DA Case, Orders Her to Serve Remaining Jail Term
The Supreme Court convicted VK Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case on Tuesday. The apex court also ordered her to serve the remaining part of her four-year jail term and imposed a Rs 10 crore fine.
The verdict also disqualifies Sasikala from contesting the elections. This means that she will need to serve almost four years in prison, and can only contest the polls six years after being released.
Support for Panneerselvam Grows, Another MLA Ditches Sasikala's Camp
MLA S Semmalai swore allegiance to O Panneerselvam on Tuesday morning. The Mettur MLA's announcement comes minutes before the SC is expected to deliver its verdict on the DA case, involving Sasikala. OPS now has the support of 9 MLAs and 11 MPs.
Sasikala Should Be Called to Form the Government: Subramanian Swamy
Speaking to CNNNews18 on Tuesday, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy expressed hope that justice will be served in the DA case and Sasikala would be soon called on to form the government in Tamil Nadu.
Watch: TNM's Dhanya Rajendran Reports from Outside the Golden Bay Resort
‘She Will Do What Amma Did for Us,’ Say Sasikala’s Supporters
Hundreds of people wait outside Veda Nilayam, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's house in Poes Garden, just to get a glimpse of AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala as she leaves for the Golden Bay Resort in Koovathur.
Sasikala supporters scream, "Chinamma vazhga" (Long live Chinnamma!) as her car leaves Poes Garden. "She is the political heir of Amma. She has been with Amma for the last 33 years and she knows everything about governance. She will do good for us like Amma," says Bhubaneswari (36), who has come from Tambaram.
Read the full report here.
The DA Case Fact File: All You Need to Know About the 20-Yr-Long Legal Battle
Registered in 1997 against Jayalalithaa after her term as chief minister from 1991 to 1996, the charges were regarding a disproportionate jump in her wealth from Rs 2.01 crore in 1991 to Rs 66.65 crore in 1996, not comparable to her declared sources of income.
The chargesheet in the case was filed in 1997 and trial began in Chennai in 2000. But the case was moved to Bangalore in 2003 on a plea by the DMK, that claimed that a trial in Chennai would be “unfair” as Jayalalithaa had become the Chief Minister again in 2001.
Also Read: How The DA Case Has Dogged Jayalalithaa and Sasikala For 20 Years
Major allegations in chargesheet
Read the full report here.
The Great Escape: MLA in Disguise Escapes Golden Bay Resort, Joins OPS
In a dramatic ‘escape’ on Monday, an AIADMK MLA scaled a wall of the Golden Bay Resort, where several legislators supporting party General Secretary VK Sasikala were holed up, to join the camp of Acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
This incident occurred on the same day that the Tamil Nadu Police submitted a report to the Madras High Court, saying that legislators supporting Sasikala were not being held captive at a beach resort near Chennai.
Read the full report here.
(With agency inputs.)
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Published: 14 Feb 2017,06:10 AM IST