TN: 18 MLAs supporting Dinakaran check into Puducherry resort

Eighteen AIADMK (Amma) MLAs, who support TTV Dinakaran, checked into a seaside resort in Puducherry on Tuesday to show their support towards Dinakaran and protest against Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam.

MLA Thanga Tamilselvan was the first to reach the Windflower Resort and Spa at 5 pm, followed by K Kathirkamu, N G Parthiban, C Jayanthi Padmanabhan, S Muthiah (Paramakudi), R Thangathurai and Mariappam Kennady, the Times of India reported.

All of Dinakaran’s supporters except P Vetrivel reached the resort by 8 pm.

The MLAs said they came to the resort to “rest and relax”, the TOI reported.

Dinakaran is expected to visit the resort for discussions with his supporters on Wednesday,

A resort employee told the TOIhe received a call to block rooms in the resort for "a couple of days".

This is a repeat of February’s incident when around 100 AIADMK (Amma) MLAs got themselves lodged in two resorts under interim general secretary V K Sasikala's orders.

The two factions of the AIADMK had announced their merger on August 21, with O Panneerselvam being sworn in as deputy chief minister.

One of Panneerselvam's preconditions for the merger was the removal of party supremo Sasikala and her family members from the AIADMK.

Dinakaran is Sasikala's nephew.

Should Dinakaran break away from the party with his 19 MLAs, it will throw the AIADMK's majority in the Tamil Nadu assembly into jeopardy.

The breakaway MLAs and the DMK have already asked for a floor test, and the latest reports say the Congress has chimed in with a similar demand.