CHENNAI: The political slugfest within the TN's ruling AIADMK party continued to be played out in open on Thursday with the party leaders pledging support to either the party's general secretary V K Sasikala or the caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, the only person who can play the referee, met Panneerselvam and Sasikala, at Raj Bhavan. VK Sasikala officially staked claim to form government in Tamil Nadu, at her meeting with the Governor.
UPDATES:
7:58 pm: Sasikala leaves Raj Bhavan after meeting TN Governor C Vidyasagar Rao.
7:40 pm: VK Sasikala officially staked claim to form Government at her meeting with the Governor: AIADMK official Twitter handle.
6:50 pm: After paying floral tributes to at Jayalalithaa's memorial, Sasikala leaves for Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao. She also placed a sealed cover, presumably MLAs' support list, at the memorial.
6:30 pm: VK Sasikala has left for MGR Memorial. She is expected to visit Jalayalithaa's memorial before meeting the Governor.
5:40 pm: AIADMK ministers S P Velumani, Edapadi Palanisamy, Thangamani at PoesGarden. They are likely to accompany Sasikala to Marina & Raj Bhavan.
5:25 pm: After his meeting with Governor, Panneerselvam addresses the press at his residence. He thanked the MLAs who came out in his support.
5:15 pm: TN CM OPS leaves Raj Bhavan after holding 25 minutes discussions with Governor.
4:40 pm: O Panneerselvam arrives at Raj Bhavan. He was accompanied by AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudanan, PH Pandian, KP Munusamy and Natham Viswanathan.
4:27 pm: Senior AIADMK leader Panruti Ramachandran meets Sasikala at PoesGarden.
4:20 pm: O Panneerselvam leaves for Raj Bhavan. He is expected to meet the Governor at 5 pm.
4:10 pm: Sasikala sacks AIADMK Puducherry leader Om Sakthi Segar from the primary membership for alleged anti-party activities
3:50 pm: Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao arrives at Raj Bhavan.
3:40 pm: It was Madhusudanan's proposal, he supported Sasikala as CM. Sad development that he has now turned to Pannerselvam:Vaigai Selvan, AIADMK MLA
3:30 pm: Governor Vidyasagar Rao reaches Chennai.
3:16 pm: Former Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah says: "Such a crisis is not new to Tamil Nadu; wait for a few hours; decision will come".
3:15 pm: Ten senior Ministers will accompany VK Sasikala during her meeting with Governor: School education minister Ma Foi Pandiyan
3:00 pm: School Education Minister Ma Foi says the growing support for OPS is an illusion being created with the help of media. He also added that OPS' claim about being forced to resign as chief minister was "laughable".
2:35 pm: Caretaker Chief Minister to meet Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao at 5 p.m. The party general secretary VK Sasikala to meet the governor at 7.30 p.m
2:00 pm: The biggest boost for the OPS camp came when AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudanan came out in support of the caretaker Chief Minister. After meeting Panneerselvam, he told the Press that "to protect the AIADMK, all should support OPS." and said that the death of the party's former leader J Jayalalithaa was mysterious.
He also said that the cadre should work for retrieving party from dictators.
AIADMK leaders including S Gokula India, VP Kalairajan criticise AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudanan for supporting OPS.
1:00 pm: Madras HC declines urgent hearing of Habeas Corpus petitions on alleged detention of AIADMK MLAs; Govt tells court all MLAs are in MLAs' hostel and free to move around.
Much clarity would emerge once the governor lands in the city and both camps present their strength to him in the evening.
As the victory of each side depends on the number of MLAs supporting them, there were wide rumours that the MLAs are being held in a luxury hotel on the city's outskirts on East Coast Road. When advocate K Balu, who belongs to the PMK party, made an oral mention in the Madras High Court praying to the court to set the MLAs at liberty, the court refused to hear the plea and asked the advocate to move through the routine procedure.
The State government's counsel informed the court that all the MLAs were free and are at the MLA hostel. But the MLAs' hostel seemed deserted.
(With inputs from agencies)