CHENNAI: A night after a "report" from the governor to the Centre on not being inclined to invite AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala to form the government surfaced (which was duly denied by the Raj Bhavan), a State cabinet minister and two MPs crossed over to join the rebels headed by caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Saturday.
Minutes later, Sasikala sent a letter to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao seeking an audience, ostensibly to parade the MLAs who are supporting her. She then came out of Veda Nilayam in Poes Garden to address the cadre, though the message was for the governor: "The party has been staying patient so far in the interests of democracy. But we can remain so only up to an extent; after that, we will do what is required."
Meanwhile, a deputy superintendent of the State police visited the resort near Mahabalipuram where the AIADMK MLAs pledging allegiance to Sasikala have been accommodated, following allegations that they were being detained. The matter had reached the Madras High Court and it had sought a report from the police.
Even as all eyes were on the MLAs, the day started with the information that two MPs were to join the rebel rank - PR Sundaram and Ashok Kumar. The duo reached the rebel HQ, the chief minister's official residence on Greenways Road, where they launched a scathing attack on Sasikala and family. Sundaram claimed all MPs - there are 50 in all from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - except M Thambi Durai would join Panneerselvam.
But more surprising was the switch over by Education Minister K Pandiarajan, an entrepreneur-turned-party hopper who, only yesterday, had painted Panneerselvam as a betrayer, coward and an opportunist. That clearly weren't the lines this morning when Pandiarajan was at Panneerselvam's house this morning. "People want OPS," he said. Interestingly, he had complained of being trolled when being bombarded by phone calls, supposedly from his voters, asking him to be with Panneerselvam.
These desertions from unexpected quarters jolted the Sasikala camp to seek an urgent audience to prove majority, followed by a clear and direct warning that patience is running thin. What seems to have stung is the report that Governor Rao purportedly sent to the Centre.
The report cites the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against Sasikala which the Supreme Court is expected to deliver soon. This understandably made many in the Sasikala camp nervous about their own political career.
The Raj Bhavan in Chennai denied sending any report to the Union Home Ministry or the President, but the matter did not die with that. That the news about the report was broken by the media in Hyderabad, which incidentally is the governor's home base, is not viewed as a coincidence by many among Sasikala camp.
Buoyed by the developments, rebel leader Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is receiving more support from within his party. Following the IT wing, a section of the AIADMK advocates' wing too switched sides this morning.
Former Rajya Sabha MP PH Manoj Pandian is leading this faction of 100 advocates.
Welcoming them, Panneerselvam launched a signature campaign they initiated, to turn Veda Nilayam in Poes Garden into a memorial for late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
The day is still young, and there is a lot more to come. Stay tuned.