A police contingent arrived at Golden Bay resort where pro-Sasikala MLAs are staying, the legislators may be forced out as&nbsp;Tamil Nadu was&nbsp;put on high alert after India&#39;s Supreme Court found AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala guilty in the disproportionate assets&nbsp;case.

Media reports said police have disconnected power supply in the Golden Bay resort&nbsp;at Koovathur after the MLAs refused to vacate the resort.

In another development that is set to further boost the O Panneerselvam camp, Deepa Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa&#39;s niece, has officialy entered politics and extended her support to the caretaker chief minister. Both of them visited the memorial of the former chief minister, Jayalalithaa, and paid their truibutes to her.&nbsp;

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Late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa&#39;s niece Deepa Jayakumar with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OPanneerselvam?src=hash">#OPanneerselvam</a> at Chennai&#39;s Marina Beach <a href="https://t.co/9LKYX8w61i">pic.twitter.com/9LKYX8w61i</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/831533298111307779">February 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao met&nbsp;AIADMK legislature party leader Edapadi K.Palanisamy in Raj Bhawan this evening, soon after AIADMK MP and Panneerselvam supporter &nbsp;V Maitreyan&nbsp;set out to meet Governor Vidyasagar Rao at&nbsp;Raj Bhavan as the political climate in Tamil Nadu reached boiling point.

Earlier, in a fast turn of events, Sasikala called an emergency meeting at a resort outside Chennai where party MLAs have been stationed for a week and announced that Palaniswami, a five-time MLA, would be the new legislature party head. Sasikala also expelled interim chief minister O Panneerselvam from the party&#39;s primary membership along with him she also expelled 19 other &quot;rebel&quot; leaders from the party. The sacked leaders&#39; list include: P H Pandian, C Ponnaiyan, Natham R Viswanathan, K P Munusamy, P Mohan, K A Jayapaul, K P Rajendra Prasad, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi.

E Ponnusamy, P H Manoj Pandian, J C D Prabhakar, Thavasi, S K Selvam, K Ayyappan, Muthuselvi, MGR, K A K Mukil, V Neelakandan and M Muthuramalingam were also expelled from the party by Sasikala.

&nbsp;

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AIADMK&#39;s V Maitreyan and PH Pandian ( <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OPanneerselvam?src=hash">#OPanneerselvam</a> supporters) leave after meeting Tamil Nadu Governor at Raj Bhavan <a href="https://t.co/moOkPTwGPR">pic.twitter.com/moOkPTwGPR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/831509477874561024">February 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Palaniswami, a known Sasikala loyalist, is now expected take up the fight against Panneerselvam, his first critical task would be to keep the party MLAs together, already several MLAs have crossed over to the Panneerselvam camp.
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Palaniswami was quick to assert his leadership declaring he had sent a letter to the Governor of Tamil Nadu Vidyasagar Rao to stake claim to form the government. However, the big question is what will Panneerselvam do next?

Also, there were&nbsp;reports that Sasikala would&nbsp;surrender this evening, a move which is being keenly watched by the &nbsp;Panneerselvam camp who are counting on poaching even more MLAs from Sasikala&#39;s camp and cobble together a working majority. However, she has dodged&nbsp;the surrender citing a legal loophole, all eyes will be on her tomorrow to surrender.

Sasikala was ordered to surrender immediately to the authorities by the Supreme Court&nbsp;and serve out the remainder of her four-year jail term. Sasikala&nbsp;has already served six months in jail, with&nbsp;three years and six months still left to serve in prison. The court also ordered her to pay Rs 10 crore as a fine.&nbsp;

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Coimbatore(TN): <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OPanneerselvam?src=hash">#OPanneerselvam</a>&#39;s supporters celebrate aftr SC&#39;s DA case verdict that convicted <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VKSasikala?src=hash">#VKSasikala</a>;raise slogans agnst <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VKSasikala?src=hash">#VKSasikala</a>. <a href="https://t.co/e4FJ09afHb">pic.twitter.com/e4FJ09afHb</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/831453558620839936">February 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION with agency inputs)
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Tamil Nadu is on high alert after India's Supreme Court found AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala guilty in the disproportionate asset case

A police contingent arrived at Golden Bay resort where pro-Sasikala MLAs are staying, the legislators may be forced out as Tamil Nadu was put on high alert after India's Supreme Court found AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala guilty in the disproportionate assets case. Media reports said police have disconnected power supply in the Golden Bay resort at Koovathur after the MLAs refused to vacate the resort. In another development that is set to further boost the O Panneerselvam camp, Deepa Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa's niece, has officialy entered politics and extended her support to the caretaker chief minister. Both of them visited the memorial of the former chief minister, Jayalalithaa, and paid their truibutes to her. Late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar with #OPanneerselvam at Chennai's Marina Beach pic.twitter.com/9LKYX8w61i — ANI (@ANI_news) February 14, 2017 × Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao met AIADMK legislature party leader Edapadi K.Palanisamy in Raj Bhawan this evening, soon after AIADMK MP and Panneerselvam supporter V Maitreyan set out to meet Governor Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan as the political climate in Tamil Nadu reached boiling point. Earlier, in a fast turn of events, Sasikala called an emergency meeting at a resort outside Chennai where party MLAs have been stationed for a week and announced that Palaniswami, a five-time MLA, would be the new legislature party head. Sasikala also expelled interim chief minister O Panneerselvam from the party's primary membership along with him she also expelled 19 other "rebel" leaders from the party. The sacked leaders' list include: P H Pandian, C Ponnaiyan, Natham R Viswanathan, K P Munusamy, P Mohan, K A Jayapaul, K P Rajendra Prasad, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi. E Ponnusamy, P H Manoj Pandian, J C D Prabhakar, Thavasi, S K Selvam, K Ayyappan, Muthuselvi, MGR, K A K Mukil, V Neelakandan and M Muthuramalingam were also expelled from the party by Sasikala. AIADMK's V Maitreyan and PH Pandian ( #OPanneerselvam supporters) leave after meeting Tamil Nadu Governor at Raj Bhavan pic.twitter.com/moOkPTwGPR — ANI (@ANI_news) February 14, 2017 × Palaniswami, a known Sasikala loyalist, is now expected take up the fight against Panneerselvam, his first critical task would be to keep the party MLAs together, already several MLAs have crossed over to the Panneerselvam camp. Palaniswami was quick to assert his leadership declaring he had sent a letter to the Governor of Tamil Nadu Vidyasagar Rao to stake claim to form the government. However, the big question is what will Panneerselvam do next? Also, there were reports that Sasikala would surrender this evening, a move which is being keenly watched by the Panneerselvam camp who are counting on poaching even more MLAs from Sasikala's camp and cobble together a working majority. However, she has dodged the surrender citing a legal loophole, all eyes will be on her tomorrow to surrender. Sasikala was ordered to surrender immediately to the authorities by the Supreme Court and serve out the remainder of her four-year jail term. Sasikala has already served six months in jail, with three years and six months still left to serve in prison. The court also ordered her to pay Rs 10 crore as a fine. Coimbatore(TN): #OPanneerselvam's supporters celebrate aftr SC's DA case verdict that convicted #VKSasikala;raise slogans agnst #VKSasikala. pic.twitter.com/e4FJ09afHb — ANI (@ANI_news) February 14, 2017 × (WION with agency inputs)

AIADMK leadership crisis: Police contingent arrives at resort, Pro-Sasikala MLAs likely to be forced out

The Supreme Court will decide on the disproportionate assets case today in which former Tamil Nadu chief minister the late J Jayalalithaa and three others, including Sasikala, are named.

The make-or-mar judgement for Sasikala&nbsp;is likely to be delivered at 10:30 am IST, according to the Supreme Court cause list of cases to be taken up by it today.

Since former chief minister&nbsp;J Jayalalithaa is dead, the case against her will not go ahead&nbsp;but the other accused, Sasikala and her relatives VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, will&nbsp;be subject to the Supreme Court verdict. They were convicted by a trial court, but acquitted by the Karnataka High Court.

Sasikala is locked in a bitter battle for leadership of the AIADMK against interim chief minister&nbsp;O Panneerselvam, the Supreme Court verdict will be crucial for both leaders as they try to&nbsp;wrestle control over the leadership of the AIADMK&nbsp;which is in power in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Indian government&#39;s chief legal advisor and the primary lawyer of India&#39;s top court has asked the governor of Tamil Nadu C. Vidyasagar Rao&nbsp;to hold a floor test in&nbsp;the state assembly&nbsp;to determine the next chief minister of the state.

The Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi, said both deserved an equal chance.

The ruling AIADMK party has been cleaved into two factions, with one bloc supporting late party chief J Jayalalithaa&#39;s close aide VK Sasikala and the other backing O Panneerselvam, who was until a few days back the head of the local government in Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;The political bedlam started when Panneerselvam claimed that AIADMK leaders put pressure on him to step down from the chief ministerial in order to pave way for Sasikala to become the next head.

Sasikala has stationed a bulk of AIADMK MLAs at a resort in Chennai and is hoping for a call-up from the Tamil Nadu governor C. Vidyasagar Rao to showcase her strength, if the Supreme Court verdict goes in her favour tomorrow she will put more pressure on the governor to allow her to take the floor test.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VKSasikala?src=hash">#VKSasikala</a> says &quot;will stay with MLAs tonight&quot; at Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash">#TamilNadu</a> <a href="https://t.co/fqJ1IJpZwa">pic.twitter.com/fqJ1IJpZwa</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/831146796273459202">February 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in the day, AIADMK general secretary Sasikala hit out against Panneerselvam, declaring&nbsp;she knew how &quot;to manage any number of enemies&quot;. &nbsp; 
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The AIADMK general secretary said,&quot;After Jayalalithaa&#39;s death, I told him to become the chief minister. I have been with Amma(Jayalalithaa) for 33 years and I am used to threats. What is happening now is not new.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Speaking to reporters from the AIADMK headquarters at Poes Garden, Sasikala said that party cadres were with her and &quot;with Amma&#39;s(Jayalalithaa&#39;s) blessings, an AIADMK government will be in place&quot;.&nbsp;
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Early on Sunday, four Lok Sabha members&mdash;Jaisingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee (Thoothukudi), B Senguttuvan (Vellore), RP Marutharaja (Perambalur) and S Rajendran (Villupuram)&mdash;and Rajya Sabha member R Lakshmanan switched over from Sasikala to Panneerselvam&#39;s camp as the fight over the control of the party continued between the two leaders.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VKSasikala?src=hash">#VKSasikala</a> meets people en route to Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash">#TamilNadu</a> <a href="https://t.co/F2KSEfDYXJ">pic.twitter.com/F2KSEfDYXJ</a>
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If convicted, the balance will tilt towards Panneerselvam. If acquitted, it will fortify her chances of becoming Tamil Nadu chief minister

The Supreme Court will decide on the disproportionate assets case today in which former Tamil Nadu chief minister the late J Jayalalithaa and three others, including Sasikala, are named. The make-or-mar judgement for Sasikala is likely to be delivered at 10:30 am IST, according to the Supreme Court cause list of cases to be taken up by it today. Since former chief minister J Jayalalithaa is dead, the case against her will not go ahead but the other accused, Sasikala and her relatives VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, will be subject to the Supreme Court verdict. They were convicted by a trial court, but acquitted by the Karnataka High Court. Sasikala is locked in a bitter battle for leadership of the AIADMK against interim chief minister O Panneerselvam, the Supreme Court verdict will be crucial for both leaders as they try to wrestle control over the leadership of the AIADMK which is in power in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the Indian government's chief legal advisor and the primary lawyer of India's top court has asked the governor of Tamil Nadu C. Vidyasagar Rao to hold a floor test in the state assembly to determine the next chief minister of the state. The Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi, said both deserved an equal chance. The ruling AIADMK party has been cleaved into two factions, with one bloc supporting late party chief J Jayalalithaa's close aide VK Sasikala and the other backing O Panneerselvam, who was until a few days back the head of the local government in Tamil Nadu. The political bedlam started when Panneerselvam claimed that AIADMK leaders put pressure on him to step down from the chief ministerial in order to pave way for Sasikala to become the next head. Sasikala has stationed a bulk of AIADMK MLAs at a resort in Chennai and is hoping for a call-up from the Tamil Nadu governor C. Vidyasagar Rao to showcase her strength, if the Supreme Court verdict goes in her favour tomorrow she will put more pressure on the governor to allow her to take the floor test. #VKSasikala says "will stay with MLAs tonight" at Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/fqJ1IJpZwa — ANI (@ANI_news) February 13, 2017 × Earlier in the day, AIADMK general secretary Sasikala hit out against Panneerselvam, declaring she knew how "to manage any number of enemies". The AIADMK general secretary said,"After Jayalalithaa's death, I told him to become the chief minister. I have been with Amma(Jayalalithaa) for 33 years and I am used to threats. What is happening now is not new." Speaking to reporters from the AIADMK headquarters at Poes Garden, Sasikala said that party cadres were with her and "with Amma's(Jayalalithaa's) blessings, an AIADMK government will be in place". Early on Sunday, four Lok Sabha members—Jaisingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee (Thoothukudi), B Senguttuvan (Vellore), RP Marutharaja (Perambalur) and S Rajendran (Villupuram)—and Rajya Sabha member R Lakshmanan switched over from Sasikala to Panneerselvam's camp as the fight over the control of the party continued between the two leaders. #VKSasikala meets people en route to Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/F2KSEfDYXJ — ANI (@ANI_news) February 13, 2017 ×

AIADMK crisis: Supreme Court to decide Sasikala's fate in disproportionate assets case today

Security has been stepped up across Tamil Nadu as a precautionary measure ahead of the verdict in the disproportionate assets case likely to be announced on Tuesday.

Additional police have been deployed at the chief minister&#39;s Greenways road residence and Raj Bhavan besides Koovathur resort where AIADMK MLAs supporting party chief VK Sasikala are staying, police said.

The fate of Sasikala, fighting a bitter power battle with interim Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam after the demise of J Jayalithaa&nbsp;is likely to be decided on Monday as the Supreme Court may deliver the much-awaited verdict in the disproportionate assets case involving her as an accused.

Besides Jayalalithaa, against whom the proceedings would be abated due to her demise on December 5 last year, Sasikala, and the latter&#39;s relatives, VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, were also acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Additional police has been deployed at the chief minister's Greenways road residence and Raj Bhavan, police said

Security has been stepped up across Tamil Nadu as a precautionary measure ahead of the verdict in the disproportionate assets case likely to be announced on Tuesday. Additional police have been deployed at the chief minister's Greenways road residence and Raj Bhavan besides Koovathur resort where AIADMK MLAs supporting party chief VK Sasikala are staying, police said. The fate of Sasikala, fighting a bitter power battle with interim Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam after the demise of J Jayalithaa is likely to be decided on Monday as the Supreme Court may deliver the much-awaited verdict in the disproportionate assets case involving her as an accused. Besides Jayalalithaa, against whom the proceedings would be abated due to her demise on December 5 last year, Sasikala, and the latter's relatives, VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, were also acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Security stepped up across Tamil Nadu ahead of disproportionate assets case verdict

Launching a scathing attack on acting Chief Minster O&nbsp;Panneerselvam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam&nbsp;(AIADMK) general secretary VK&nbsp;Sasikala on Sunday blamed the former of trying to create a rift within the party and asked the workers to ensure that the government formed under later chief minister Jayalalithaa is kept alive.

In an emotional address to the party MLAs at Golden Bay resort, Sasikala&nbsp;said, &quot;Our only goal is to ensure that Amma&#39;s government should be kept alive. We have to ensure that for the third time running our government will come into power. I will work hard, I want you to work hard too&quot;.

Speaking about the comparisons made between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and her, Sasikala said that the former is a quiet person and she is like a &#39;little lion&quot;.

&quot;People are comparing Panneerselvam and me. They feel that he&#39;s a quiet person, who listens to everyone, and on the other hand, look at me like a little lion. Because I was always with the lion. Everyone who is with the lion is a lion,&quot;&nbsp;Sasikala said. &quot;I will protect this party and this government till my dying breadth,&quot; she added.

Asking all the party cadres to remain united, Sasikala said, &quot;You must all stay united. We must not let this chance go. We must not let the DMK win.&quot;

Sasikala also refuted allegations that she has held several party MLAs captive, to prevent them from joining Panneerselvam&#39;s camp and said that the defectors, along with the opposition, are spreading lies to split the party.

&quot;You can see for yourselves that no one has been locked up. You should see this and understand that the people who said MLAs are being locked up are lies. Some defectors and as well as our enemies are spreading false rumours to the media,&quot;&nbsp;Sasikala said.

Earlier today, Sasikala said that the AIADMK, under her leadership, would run the government for next four-and-half years.

Before heading to Koovathur to meet MLAs, Sasikala said she is being targeted by the opposition in the party for being a woman.

&quot;Things which are happening now are not new to us. There were attempts in past also, to divide the party. When MGR died, the AIADMK had to face similar situation. I witnessed a similar situation when Jayalalithaa was set to take over,&quot;&nbsp;she said, adding, &quot;It shows that there are some people, who cannot tolerate a lady&#39;s entry in electoral politics.&quot;

Meanwhile, the number of AIADMK MPs joining Panneerselvam&#39;s group is increasing day-by-day. Panneerselvam has the support of the seven MLAs as of now. If he gets the support of 18 MLAs, Sasikala will not be able to form the government on her own.

In the 235-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the AIADMK has 135 MLAs.

On February 5, AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala was elected as the party&#39;s legislature leader, a step towards her elevation as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, both sides called on the Governor, pressing their demand to invite them to form the government.

(ANI)

Sasikala blamed Panneerselvam for creating a rift within the party and asked workers to ensure that Jayalalithaa's party endures

Launching a scathing attack on acting Chief Minster O Panneerselvam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary VK Sasikala on Sunday blamed the former of trying to create a rift within the party and asked the workers to ensure that the government formed under later chief minister Jayalalithaa is kept alive. In an emotional address to the party MLAs at Golden Bay resort, Sasikala said, "Our only goal is to ensure that Amma's government should be kept alive. We have to ensure that for the third time running our government will come into power. I will work hard, I want you to work hard too". Speaking about the comparisons made between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and her, Sasikala said that the former is a quiet person and she is like a 'little lion". "People are comparing Panneerselvam and me. They feel that he's a quiet person, who listens to everyone, and on the other hand, look at me like a little lion. Because I was always with the lion. Everyone who is with the lion is a lion," Sasikala said. "I will protect this party and this government till my dying breadth," she added. Asking all the party cadres to remain united, Sasikala said, "You must all stay united. We must not let this chance go. We must not let the DMK win." Sasikala also refuted allegations that she has held several party MLAs captive, to prevent them from joining Panneerselvam's camp and said that the defectors, along with the opposition, are spreading lies to split the party. "You can see for yourselves that no one has been locked up. You should see this and understand that the people who said MLAs are being locked up are lies. Some defectors and as well as our enemies are spreading false rumours to the media," Sasikala said. Earlier today, Sasikala said that the AIADMK, under her leadership, would run the government for next four-and-half years. Before heading to Koovathur to meet MLAs, Sasikala said she is being targeted by the opposition in the party for being a woman. "Things which are happening now are not new to us. There were attempts in past also, to divide the party. When MGR died, the AIADMK had to face similar situation. I witnessed a similar situation when Jayalalithaa was set to take over," she said, adding, "It shows that there are some people, who cannot tolerate a lady's entry in electoral politics." Meanwhile, the number of AIADMK MPs joining Panneerselvam's group is increasing day-by-day. Panneerselvam has the support of the seven MLAs as of now. If he gets the support of 18 MLAs, Sasikala will not be able to form the government on her own. In the 235-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the AIADMK has 135 MLAs. On February 5, AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala was elected as the party's legislature leader, a step towards her elevation as chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Earlier, both sides called on the Governor, pressing their demand to invite them to form the government. (ANI)

Sasikala breaks down, asks MLAs to keep Amma's government alive

By&nbsp;G Jagannath

Even as support for Tamil Nadu&#39;s caretaker chief minister&nbsp;O Panneerselvam grew on Sunday, with five more MPs crossing over to his camp, AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala paraded her MLAs before the media at the private resort, saying that no MLA has been held captive and whoever wants can take a head count.

Sasikala also cautioned the media against rushing to conclusions in the disproportionate assets (DA) case and said that both Jayalalithaa and herself had seen Chennai and Bangalore prisons and had again returned to power.&nbsp;

&quot;We will form the government, then visit Amma&#39;s memorial and take a photograph. I&#39;ll show it to the world,&quot; she told MLAs.

Early on Sunday, four Lok Sabha members&mdash;Jaisingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee (Thoothukudi), B Senguttuvan (Vellore), RP Marutharaja (Perambalur) and S Rajendran (Villupuram)&mdash;and Rajya Sabha member R Lakshmanan switched over to Panneerselvam camp.

&nbsp;As of now, Panneerselvam enjoys the support of seven MLAs and 10 MPs, including two from Rajya Sabha. The Greenways Road, where Panneerselvam&#39;s residence is located, wore a festive look with a large number of his supporters thronging there.

The suspense over the formation of new government, however, continued with Governor Vidyasagar Rao maintaining a stoic silence over his move even as BJP leader Subramanian Swamy tweeted that the former has to decide on the issue by Monday.

&quot;The TN Guv must decide CM issue by tomorrow otherwise a WP (writ petition) under Art 32 of the Constitution can be filed charging abetment of horse trading,&quot; Swamy said on Twitter.

Rajya Sabha member V Maitreyan too called on the Governor to complain that the party MLAs continue to be held captive in the resort, and cited the fresh complaints being filed in the districts, sources said.

Before heading for the resort, Sasikala told journalists outside the Poes Garden, the residence of her mentor and former Chief Minister, the late J Jayalalithaa, that it was &quot;very difficult&quot; to be a woman in politics.

Sasikala also displayed a copy of a &#39;fake letter&#39; allegedly sent by her to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao threatening to commit suicide if she was not allowed to form the government.

Sasikala, flanked by some of women party MLAs, also alleged that the MLAs had received threats that their children would be abducted for backing her. She alleged that those who defected and the rivals were spreading falsehood that the MLAs were being held hostage. &quot;They are in touch with their family over phone,&quot; she said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition DMK has convened its high-level executive committee on Monday to discuss the present political situation. The meeting would be chaired by DMK Working President MK Stalin, party General Secretary K Anbazhagan said in a statement.

The DMK had already stated the administration in the state has come to a standstill following the standoff between the two rival camps in the AIADMK and has urged the Governor to restore normalcy.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Sasikala paraded her MLAs before the media on Sunday, saying no one was being held hostage

By G Jagannath Even as support for Tamil Nadu's caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam grew on Sunday, with five more MPs crossing over to his camp, AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala paraded her MLAs before the media at the private resort, saying that no MLA has been held captive and whoever wants can take a head count. Sasikala also cautioned the media against rushing to conclusions in the disproportionate assets (DA) case and said that both Jayalalithaa and herself had seen Chennai and Bangalore prisons and had again returned to power. "We will form the government, then visit Amma's memorial and take a photograph. I'll show it to the world," she told MLAs. Early on Sunday, four Lok Sabha members—Jaisingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee (Thoothukudi), B Senguttuvan (Vellore), RP Marutharaja (Perambalur) and S Rajendran (Villupuram)—and Rajya Sabha member R Lakshmanan switched over to Panneerselvam camp. As of now, Panneerselvam enjoys the support of seven MLAs and 10 MPs, including two from Rajya Sabha. The Greenways Road, where Panneerselvam's residence is located, wore a festive look with a large number of his supporters thronging there. The suspense over the formation of new government, however, continued with Governor Vidyasagar Rao maintaining a stoic silence over his move even as BJP leader Subramanian Swamy tweeted that the former has to decide on the issue by Monday. "The TN Guv must decide CM issue by tomorrow otherwise a WP (writ petition) under Art 32 of the Constitution can be filed charging abetment of horse trading," Swamy said on Twitter. Rajya Sabha member V Maitreyan too called on the Governor to complain that the party MLAs continue to be held captive in the resort, and cited the fresh complaints being filed in the districts, sources said. Before heading for the resort, Sasikala told journalists outside the Poes Garden, the residence of her mentor and former Chief Minister, the late J Jayalalithaa, that it was "very difficult" to be a woman in politics. Sasikala also displayed a copy of a 'fake letter' allegedly sent by her to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao threatening to commit suicide if she was not allowed to form the government. Sasikala, flanked by some of women party MLAs, also alleged that the MLAs had received threats that their children would be abducted for backing her. She alleged that those who defected and the rivals were spreading falsehood that the MLAs were being held hostage. "They are in touch with their family over phone," she said. Meanwhile, the Opposition DMK has convened its high-level executive committee on Monday to discuss the present political situation. The meeting would be chaired by DMK Working President MK Stalin, party General Secretary K Anbazhagan said in a statement. The DMK had already stated the administration in the state has come to a standstill following the standoff between the two rival camps in the AIADMK and has urged the Governor to restore normalcy. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Suspense grows in Tamil Nadu as five more MPs join O Panneerselvam

The ruling party in India&#39;s southern state of Tamil Nadu continues to be blighted&nbsp;by defections, allegations and intrigue over who the next chief minister will be.

Tamil Nadu has been without a chief minister since last week, when O Panneerselvam resigned from the post due to alleged pressure from people in the ruling party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Since then, the party has been split into two factions: one supporting Panneerselvam and the other backing the party chief VK Sasikala.

Though currently the numbers are with Sasikala, there are lawmakers who are yet to make up their mind and have switched loyalties.

Tamil Nadu has 235 lawmakers in its local assembly and the next chief minister will have to have support of at least 118 people.

On Sunday, the Panneerselvam bloc got a fresh boost when two members of the parliament extended their support, taking the total tally to ten.

Sasikala received a severe blow when one of the senior ministers, K Pandiarajan, joined forces with her political adversary.

Senguttuvan and J Jeyasingh extended their support and met Panneerselvam at his residence.

Former AIADMK MP Ramarajan also met O Panneerselvam&nbsp;to extend his support.

On Saturday, an MLA and 4 MPs of AIADMK joined Panneerselvam after deserting party general secretary Sasikala who threatened to hold a protest on Sunday while targeting Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao for the delay in swearing her in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

But Sasikala has maintained that the numbers are on her side and is confident of becoming the next head of Tamil Nadu.

Sasikala took to Twitter to hit back at the opposing camp, saying she was confident of tiding over the current problem.

&ldquo;Tiding rough sea has taken AIADMK to pinnacle of success. The same group which went against Amma is now attacking us. I am not scared of such threats,&rdquo; she tweeted.

She also repsonded about a letter she apparently wrote to Jayalalithaa after being ousted from the party in 2011.

Panneerselvam had said she had written a letter to then party chief Jayalalithaa, in which she stated that she has no desire to get involved in politics.

Sasikala rubbished the letter, saying she never wrote such a letter.&nbsp;

&ldquo;A letter has been circulated as if I have written it. It shows there are people who cannot tolerate a lady getting into politics.The letter which claims to have been written by me is false,&quot; she wrote on Twitter.

The infighting started last Sunday (February 5) when Panneerselvam stepped down from the chief ministerial post. It was initially understood that he had resigned to pave the way for Sasikala to be the next chief minister.

But two days later, Panneerselvam&nbsp;whipped up a storm when he claimed that he was forced to step down.

(WION)

Ten MPs, 6 MLAs have joined Tamil Nadu caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam's camp

The ruling party in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu continues to be blighted by defections, allegations and intrigue over who the next chief minister will be. Tamil Nadu has been without a chief minister since last week, when O Panneerselvam resigned from the post due to alleged pressure from people in the ruling party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Since then, the party has been split into two factions: one supporting Panneerselvam and the other backing the party chief VK Sasikala. Though currently the numbers are with Sasikala, there are lawmakers who are yet to make up their mind and have switched loyalties. Tamil Nadu has 235 lawmakers in its local assembly and the next chief minister will have to have support of at least 118 people. On Sunday, the Panneerselvam bloc got a fresh boost when two members of the parliament extended their support, taking the total tally to ten. Sasikala received a severe blow when one of the senior ministers, K Pandiarajan, joined forces with her political adversary. Senguttuvan and J Jeyasingh extended their support and met Panneerselvam at his residence. Former AIADMK MP Ramarajan also met O Panneerselvam to extend his support. On Saturday, an MLA and 4 MPs of AIADMK joined Panneerselvam after deserting party general secretary Sasikala who threatened to hold a protest on Sunday while targeting Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao for the delay in swearing her in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. But Sasikala has maintained that the numbers are on her side and is confident of becoming the next head of Tamil Nadu. Sasikala took to Twitter to hit back at the opposing camp, saying she was confident of tiding over the current problem. “Tiding rough sea has taken AIADMK to pinnacle of success. The same group which went against Amma is now attacking us. I am not scared of such threats,” she tweeted. She also repsonded about a letter she apparently wrote to Jayalalithaa after being ousted from the party in 2011. Panneerselvam had said she had written a letter to then party chief Jayalalithaa, in which she stated that she has no desire to get involved in politics. Sasikala rubbished the letter, saying she never wrote such a letter. “A letter has been circulated as if I have written it. It shows there are people who cannot tolerate a lady getting into politics.The letter which claims to have been written by me is false," she wrote on Twitter. The infighting started last Sunday (February 5) when Panneerselvam stepped down from the chief ministerial post. It was initially understood that he had resigned to pave the way for Sasikala to be the next chief minister. But two days later, Panneerselvam whipped up a storm when he claimed that he was forced to step down. (WION)

India: AIADMK chief Sasikala vows to tide over problems as lawmakers shift camps

As the power struggle within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK), the ruling party of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu,&nbsp;continues to plague the political ambience in the region, The state&#39;s school education minister K Pandiarajan is likely to extend support to O Panneerselvam.

&quot;Will surely listen to the collective voice of my voters and decide in a way to uphold the dignity of Amma&#39;s memory &amp; unity of AIADMK !,&quot; he wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Pandiarajan was one of the 10 ministers who had accompanied AIADM general secretary Sasikala to meet the state&#39;s governor.

Meanwhile, two MPs have extended support to Panneerselvam. Ashok Kumar from Krishnagiri and PR Sundaram from Namakkal have extended support to the caretaker chief minister, The Hindu reported.

Governor Vidyasagar Rao is still undecided on the issue as the feud in the ruling AIADMK escalated with VK Sasikala sacking party presidium chairman E Madusudanan who wrote to the Election Commission asking it to not recognise her as general secretary of the party.

The governor is said to be still evaluating legal opinion on Sasikala&#39;s claim to having an overwhelming support of party MLAs while the judgement of Supreme Court on disproportionate assets case against her is imminent next week.

Sending a strong message to her detractors, Sasikala sacked Madusudanan from the primary membership of the party, a day after he switched over to the rebel camp led by Panneerselvam, and appointed former minister KA Sengottaiyan in his place.

On his part, Panneerselvam asserted that his camp would not allow the party to go into hands of &#39;a family&#39; and that the &quot;dream of those to capture power&quot; will end as a &quot;day dream&quot;.

Meanwhile, Sasikala received a sigh of relief as Rao has clarified that he had not sent any report to the Home Ministry, which allegedly cited she was not qualified to stake the claim of being the chief minister of the state.

The office of the governor issued a press release that said, &quot;Thiru Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, the governor of Tamil Nadu, has not sent any report either to the Ministry of Home Affairs or to the President of India, as reported in some of the media.&quot;

(This story first appeared in DNA)

The state's school education minister K Pandiarajan is also likely to extend support to O Panneerselvam

As the power struggle within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK), the ruling party of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, continues to plague the political ambience in the region, The state's school education minister K Pandiarajan is likely to extend support to O Panneerselvam. "Will surely listen to the collective voice of my voters and decide in a way to uphold the dignity of Amma's memory & unity of AIADMK !," he wrote on Twitter on Saturday. Pandiarajan was one of the 10 ministers who had accompanied AIADM general secretary Sasikala to meet the state's governor. Meanwhile, two MPs have extended support to Panneerselvam. Ashok Kumar from Krishnagiri and PR Sundaram from Namakkal have extended support to the caretaker chief minister, The Hindu reported. Governor Vidyasagar Rao is still undecided on the issue as the feud in the ruling AIADMK escalated with VK Sasikala sacking party presidium chairman E Madusudanan who wrote to the Election Commission asking it to not recognise her as general secretary of the party. The governor is said to be still evaluating legal opinion on Sasikala's claim to having an overwhelming support of party MLAs while the judgement of Supreme Court on disproportionate assets case against her is imminent next week. Sending a strong message to her detractors, Sasikala sacked Madusudanan from the primary membership of the party, a day after he switched over to the rebel camp led by Panneerselvam, and appointed former minister KA Sengottaiyan in his place. On his part, Panneerselvam asserted that his camp would not allow the party to go into hands of 'a family' and that the "dream of those to capture power" will end as a "day dream". Meanwhile, Sasikala received a sigh of relief as Rao has clarified that he had not sent any report to the Home Ministry, which allegedly cited she was not qualified to stake the claim of being the chief minister of the state. The office of the governor issued a press release that said, "Thiru Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, the governor of Tamil Nadu, has not sent any report either to the Ministry of Home Affairs or to the President of India, as reported in some of the media." (This story first appeared in DNA)

India: Two AIADMK MPs back Tamil Nadu's caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam

Stones were pelted at media persons allegedly by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) workers on Saturday in Chennai outside the resort where the party MLAs are lodged.&nbsp;

Denying the rumour of MLAs being &#39;forced&#39; to stay at the resort, Tamil Nadu education minister Pandiarajan said, &quot;All AIADMK MLAs are willing to meet the Governor if he wishes to meet as well. We have not overruled any of his suggestions. Whatever has been done was after his consent, no pressure tactics.&quot;

He further said that the MLAs have been staying at their convenience at hotels, adding that they have not been forced or compelled to do anything.

The 11 MLAs staying at the resort addressed the media yesterday clarifying the same and dismissing all the allegations as a &#39;conspiracy&#39;. One of the MLAs said that they were not forced to stay there but were staying there so that they could immediately meet the Governor if he calls them.

Earlier yesterday, Tamil Nadu interim chief minister O&nbsp;Panneerselvam hit back at Sasikala for calling him a &#39;traitor&#39;, accusing the former of playing &#39;dirty tricks&#39;, adding that she instigated several ministers to give interviews to declare her as the chief minister.&nbsp;

&quot;Sasikala wanted to betray the party and become the chief minister, she instigated several ministers who started giving interviews that she should be CM. It is Sasikala who is doing dirty tricks to acquire the chair of chief minister. If she succeeds it will be a big blot on democracy,&quot; said Panneerselvam.&nbsp;

(ANI)

The incident occurred on Saturday in Chennai outside the resort where the party MLAs are lodged, according to ANI

Stones were pelted at media persons allegedly by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) workers on Saturday in Chennai outside the resort where the party MLAs are lodged. Denying the rumour of MLAs being 'forced' to stay at the resort, Tamil Nadu education minister Pandiarajan said, "All AIADMK MLAs are willing to meet the Governor if he wishes to meet as well. We have not overruled any of his suggestions. Whatever has been done was after his consent, no pressure tactics." He further said that the MLAs have been staying at their convenience at hotels, adding that they have not been forced or compelled to do anything. The 11 MLAs staying at the resort addressed the media yesterday clarifying the same and dismissing all the allegations as a 'conspiracy'. One of the MLAs said that they were not forced to stay there but were staying there so that they could immediately meet the Governor if he calls them. Earlier yesterday, Tamil Nadu interim chief minister O Panneerselvam hit back at Sasikala for calling him a 'traitor', accusing the former of playing 'dirty tricks', adding that she instigated several ministers to give interviews to declare her as the chief minister. "Sasikala wanted to betray the party and become the chief minister, she instigated several ministers who started giving interviews that she should be CM. It is Sasikala who is doing dirty tricks to acquire the chair of chief minister. If she succeeds it will be a big blot on democracy," said Panneerselvam. (ANI)

India: AIADMK workers allegedly pelt stones at media persons in Chennai

India&#39;s Madras High Court on Friday asked the Tamil Nadu police to file an affidavit on AIADMK MLAs lodged at a resort near the southern state&#39;s capital of Chennai.

A Habeas Corpus petition&nbsp;on Thursday had alleged illegal detention of 130-odd ruling AIADMK MLAs after the Tamil Nadu government said the legislators were staying at the MLAs&#39; Hostel and &quot;free to move around&quot;.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has refused to give an urgent hearing on a Public Interest Litigation seeking to restrain AIADMK leader VK Sasikala from being sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister till it decides the disproportionate assets case against her.

Sasikala has staked claim to form the government at a meeting with Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, who has not yet given any indication as to what course of action he will take.

Hours after caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam visited Rao on Thursday, Sasikala called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan.The meeting with the governor lasted about 40 minutes. AIADMK claimed 131 MLAs had attended a meeting called by her in the wake of a rebellion by O Panneerselvam, who resigned as the chief minister on February 6 triggering another wave of political instability in the state.

Panneerselvam had called on Rao and after a brief meeting told reporters that &quot;good things will happen and dharma will triumph.&quot;

He currently has the support of leaders like former Ministers KP Munusamy, Natham R Viswanathan, Rajya Sabha MP V Maithreyan and a few sitting MLAs, besides AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan, who switched sides and is now backing Panneerselvam.

Pannerselvam has been maintaining that he was prepared to reconsider his resignation if people and the party cadres so desired. Though Sasikala appears to have the backing of an overwhelming majority of MLAs, public support for Panneerselvam was reported to have grown following his rebellion.

Before O Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala claiming he was forced to resign, he had submitted his resignation to the governor on February 6 and was asked to continue in office till alternative arrangements were made.

Pannerselvam has been maintaining that he was prepared to reconsider his resignation if people and the party cadres so desired. Though Sasikala appears to have the backing of an overwhelming majority of MLAs, public support for Panneerselvam was reported to have grown following his rebellion.

(This report &nbsp;first appeared in DNA)

&nbsp;

A Habeas Corpus petition?on Thursday had alleged illegal detention of 130-odd ruling AIADMK MLAs in the wake of the ongoing political crisis

India's Madras High Court on Friday asked the Tamil Nadu police to file an affidavit on AIADMK MLAs lodged at a resort near the southern state's capital of Chennai. A Habeas Corpus petition on Thursday had alleged illegal detention of 130-odd ruling AIADMK MLAs after the Tamil Nadu government said the legislators were staying at the MLAs' Hostel and "free to move around". Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has refused to give an urgent hearing on a Public Interest Litigation seeking to restrain AIADMK leader VK Sasikala from being sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister till it decides the disproportionate assets case against her. Sasikala has staked claim to form the government at a meeting with Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, who has not yet given any indication as to what course of action he will take. Hours after caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam visited Rao on Thursday, Sasikala called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan.The meeting with the governor lasted about 40 minutes. AIADMK claimed 131 MLAs had attended a meeting called by her in the wake of a rebellion by O Panneerselvam, who resigned as the chief minister on February 6 triggering another wave of political instability in the state. Panneerselvam had called on Rao and after a brief meeting told reporters that "good things will happen and dharma will triumph." He currently has the support of leaders like former Ministers KP Munusamy, Natham R Viswanathan, Rajya Sabha MP V Maithreyan and a few sitting MLAs, besides AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan, who switched sides and is now backing Panneerselvam. Pannerselvam has been maintaining that he was prepared to reconsider his resignation if people and the party cadres so desired. Though Sasikala appears to have the backing of an overwhelming majority of MLAs, public support for Panneerselvam was reported to have grown following his rebellion. Before O Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala claiming he was forced to resign, he had submitted his resignation to the governor on February 6 and was asked to continue in office till alternative arrangements were made. Pannerselvam has been maintaining that he was prepared to reconsider his resignation if people and the party cadres so desired. Though Sasikala appears to have the backing of an overwhelming majority of MLAs, public support for Panneerselvam was reported to have grown following his rebellion. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Madras High Court asks Tamil Nadu police to file affidavit on AIADMK MLAs kept at resort

The AIADMK leadership crisis continues to brew with interim chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam&nbsp;hitting out at party general secretary Sasikala declaring he will not allow the party to become a &quot;family property&quot;.&nbsp;

We will not let Jayalalithaa&#39;s sacrifice&nbsp;to go waste, O Panneerselvam told reporters deepening the AIADMK leadership crisis.

He challenged Sasikala&#39;s leadership declaring &quot;one who is popular amongst people should become the CM&quot;.

Panneerselvam&#39;s reaction comes even as a section of AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to party general secretary V K Sasikala dismissed media reports and allegations from the Panneerselvam camp that they were being &quot;detained&quot; at a resort, and asserted that they were &quot;free&quot;.

V C Arukutty, MLA from Kavundampalayam in Coimbatore and a supporter of revolting chief minister O Panneerselvam, alleged that the MLAs were &quot;detained&quot; and &quot;not reachable.&quot;

&quot;The MLAs are not reachable. They have been detained. They are legislators elected by people, so release them. Let them go and meet people,&quot; he told reporters here.

However, the MLAs owing allegiance to Sasikala rejected the allegations.

&quot;We are free. We are keenly awaiting governor&#39;s invitation to Sasikala to form the&nbsp;government. We are not children to be detained or abducted as is being reported in a section of media,&quot; Perundurai MLA ND Venkadachalam said.

Some of the MLAs, including former ministers like himself, were made to stay put at one place to move swiftly in case there was a need in the wake of an invitation from the Governor, he told a TV channel.

Earlier, Sasikala dismissed presidium chairman E. Madhusudanan from the party for backing acting chief minister O. Panneerselvam.

Sasikala said in a statement that Madhusudanan had violated the party&#39;s principles and brought disrepute to it and so was being ousted from the party post and the AIADMK&#39;s primary membership.

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He&#39;s an absent-minded person, he doesn&#39;t know what he&#39;s speaking now and what he&#39;ll speak later: AIADMK&#39;s Kalairajan on E Madhusudan <a href="https://t.co/m0U7OkkMvC">pic.twitter.com/m0U7OkkMvC</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/830023776775442432">February 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has refused to give an urgent hearing on a PIL seeking to restrain AIADMK leader V K Sasikala from being sworn-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister till it decides the disproportionate assets case against her.

&quot;Sorry. Declined,&quot; a bench comprising chief justice J S Khehar and justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud said when the lawyer sought urgent listing and hearing.

Advocate G S Mani, who is representing Chennai-resident Senthil Kumar, General Secretary of NGO Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, pleaded that the matter be heard on urgent basis.
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The PIL was filed on February 6 seeking a stay on the swearing-in of Sasikala as Tamil Nadu chief minister as there was speculation that she would be taking the oath the next day.

The petitioner has sought a restrain on her swearing-in after an apex court bench had on February 6 said that it would pronounce within a week the judgement in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case in which Sasikala and late chief minister J Jayalalithaa were accused.

(WION with agency inputs)&nbsp;
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Interim chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam has openly challenged Sasikala's leadership of AIADMK

The AIADMK leadership crisis continues to brew with interim chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam hitting out at party general secretary Sasikala declaring he will not allow the party to become a "family property". We will not let Jayalalithaa's sacrifice to go waste, O Panneerselvam told reporters deepening the AIADMK leadership crisis. He challenged Sasikala's leadership declaring "one who is popular amongst people should become the CM". Panneerselvam's reaction comes even as a section of AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to party general secretary V K Sasikala dismissed media reports and allegations from the Panneerselvam camp that they were being "detained" at a resort, and asserted that they were "free". V C Arukutty, MLA from Kavundampalayam in Coimbatore and a supporter of revolting chief minister O Panneerselvam, alleged that the MLAs were "detained" and "not reachable." "The MLAs are not reachable. They have been detained. They are legislators elected by people, so release them. Let them go and meet people," he told reporters here. However, the MLAs owing allegiance to Sasikala rejected the allegations. "We are free. We are keenly awaiting governor's invitation to Sasikala to form the government. We are not children to be detained or abducted as is being reported in a section of media," Perundurai MLA ND Venkadachalam said. Some of the MLAs, including former ministers like himself, were made to stay put at one place to move swiftly in case there was a need in the wake of an invitation from the Governor, he told a TV channel. Earlier, Sasikala dismissed presidium chairman E. Madhusudanan from the party for backing acting chief minister O. Panneerselvam. Sasikala said in a statement that Madhusudanan had violated the party's principles and brought disrepute to it and so was being ousted from the party post and the AIADMK's primary membership. He's an absent-minded person, he doesn't know what he's speaking now and what he'll speak later: AIADMK's Kalairajan on E Madhusudan pic.twitter.com/m0U7OkkMvC — ANI (@ANI_news) February 10, 2017 × Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has refused to give an urgent hearing on a PIL seeking to restrain AIADMK leader V K Sasikala from being sworn-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister till it decides the disproportionate assets case against her. "Sorry. Declined," a bench comprising chief justice J S Khehar and justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud said when the lawyer sought urgent listing and hearing. Advocate G S Mani, who is representing Chennai-resident Senthil Kumar, General Secretary of NGO Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, pleaded that the matter be heard on urgent basis. The PIL was filed on February 6 seeking a stay on the swearing-in of Sasikala as Tamil Nadu chief minister as there was speculation that she would be taking the oath the next day. The petitioner has sought a restrain on her swearing-in after an apex court bench had on February 6 said that it would pronounce within a week the judgement in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case in which Sasikala and late chief minister J Jayalalithaa were accused. (WION with agency inputs)

Will not allow AIADMK to become a family property, says Panneerselvam

The AIADMK announced on Sunday that VK Sasikala would take over as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on February 9. Sasikala, also known as Chinnamma, was elected the legislative party head by the AIADMK after a meeting with cabinet ministers and senior party leaders on Sunday.

Sasikala&#39;s name for the post of leader of AIADMK legislature party leader was also proposed by O Panneerselvam, the party said.

Many took to social media to express their dissent and anger upon her appointment.

Rapper-activist Sofia Ashraf and her crew went to Poes Garden, home to late chief minister Jayalalithaa, late on Sunday night and sang angrily, expressing their displeasure&nbsp;on the latest appointment to the Tamil Nadu chief minister&#39;s office. The video was live streamed on Facebook.

&quot;The main lyrics in the song is &#39;those who were not elected need not become ministers&#39;. And that&#39;s the sentiment most Tamilians have now. Democracy, as we know is dead. How can someone not elected by people become chief minister? It may be all legal, but it isn&#39;t right. People can&#39;t suddenly pop up and say we will be the CM,&quot; Sofia told The News Minute.

&nbsp;

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&quot;It seemed like nothing was in our control. Felt angry and upset,&quot; Ashraf added.

Congress leader and former finance minister P&nbsp;Chidambaram has also questioned AIADMK&#39;s latest move. In a series of tweets, he raised doubts about Sasikala&#39;s ability to take over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;

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It is the right of AIADMK MLAs to elect their leader. It is the right of the people to ask if the leader deserves to be CM
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/828420702936133632">February 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Looking back with pride, TN CM chair was occupied by Kamaraj and Anna. AIADMK and PEOPLE OF TAMILNADU are now moving in opposite directions.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/828421131694637056">February 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Sasikala is expected to be sworn in as chief minister of the state on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the swearing-in of Sasikala on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu has on three occasions in the past witnessed persons not elected to the assembly being sworn in as chief minister -- CN Annadurai in 1967, VN Janaki (MGR&#39;s widow) in 1987 and Jayalalithaa in 2001. Of them, Janaki had to quit office within 24 days having lost the confidence of the House. Sasikala&#39;s proposed swearing-in will be the third such event since May 2016 when Jayalalithaa retained power.

(WION)

Ashraf and her crew sang angrily, expressing their displeasure on the latest appointment to the Tamil Nadu chief minister's office

The AIADMK announced on Sunday that VK Sasikala would take over as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on February 9. Sasikala, also known as Chinnamma, was elected the legislative party head by the AIADMK after a meeting with cabinet ministers and senior party leaders on Sunday. Sasikala's name for the post of leader of AIADMK legislature party leader was also proposed by O Panneerselvam, the party said. Many took to social media to express their dissent and anger upon her appointment. Rapper-activist Sofia Ashraf and her crew went to Poes Garden, home to late chief minister Jayalalithaa, late on Sunday night and sang angrily, expressing their displeasure on the latest appointment to the Tamil Nadu chief minister's office. The video was live streamed on Facebook. "The main lyrics in the song is 'those who were not elected need not become ministers'. And that's the sentiment most Tamilians have now. Democracy, as we know is dead. How can someone not elected by people become chief minister? It may be all legal, but it isn't right. People can't suddenly pop up and say we will be the CM," Sofia told The News Minute. "It seemed like nothing was in our control. Felt angry and upset," Ashraf added. Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram has also questioned AIADMK's latest move. In a series of tweets, he raised doubts about Sasikala's ability to take over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu. It is the right of AIADMK MLAs to elect their leader. It is the right of the people to ask if the leader deserves to be CM — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 6, 2017 × Looking back with pride, TN CM chair was occupied by Kamaraj and Anna. AIADMK and PEOPLE OF TAMILNADU are now moving in opposite directions. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 6, 2017 × Sasikala is expected to be sworn in as chief minister of the state on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the swearing-in of Sasikala on Tuesday. Tamil Nadu has on three occasions in the past witnessed persons not elected to the assembly being sworn in as chief minister -- CN Annadurai in 1967, VN Janaki (MGR's widow) in 1987 and Jayalalithaa in 2001. Of them, Janaki had to quit office within 24 days having lost the confidence of the House. Sasikala's proposed swearing-in will be the third such event since May 2016 when Jayalalithaa retained power. (WION)

Sasikala as Tamil Nadu CM: Rapper Sofia Ashraf's musical dissent

Refraining to comment on&nbsp;AIADMK&nbsp;general secretary Sasikala Natarajan&#39;s appointment as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the Congress on Monday said they will have to wait for some time to know what the voters think of the change in the state leadership.

&quot;As the president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee S Thirunavukkarasar said, it is their choice and their selection. It is other party&#39;s internal problem. Chief minister O Panneerselvam proposed Sasikala&#39;s candidature for the chief minister post and it was seconded by all the ministers and MLAs. So, we cannot comment on that,&quot; Congress leader Hidayathulla told ANI.

&quot;And we&#39;ll have to wait for some time to know what the voters of Tamil Nadu are thinking about this,&quot; he added.

AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan on Sunday was elected as the legislative leader of the party and with this, she is all set to take over as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Sasikala, J Jayalalithaa&#39;s closest aide since the 1980s, had handled party affairs on several occasions despite not holding any formal position in the AIADMK prior to the former chief minister&#39;s death.

She is called Chinnamma, meaning aunt, taking after Jayalalithaa -- who was popularly known among her legions of supporters as Amma (or mother). Sasikala will be the third woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Janaki Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp; 
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Sasikala has vowed to work for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu and 'follow the principles of Amma'

Refraining to comment on AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan's appointment as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the Congress on Monday said they will have to wait for some time to know what the voters think of the change in the state leadership. "As the president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee S Thirunavukkarasar said, it is their choice and their selection. It is other party's internal problem. Chief minister O Panneerselvam proposed Sasikala's candidature for the chief minister post and it was seconded by all the ministers and MLAs. So, we cannot comment on that," Congress leader Hidayathulla told ANI. "And we'll have to wait for some time to know what the voters of Tamil Nadu are thinking about this," he added. AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan on Sunday was elected as the legislative leader of the party and with this, she is all set to take over as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Sasikala, J Jayalalithaa's closest aide since the 1980s, had handled party affairs on several occasions despite not holding any formal position in the AIADMK prior to the former chief minister's death. She is called Chinnamma, meaning aunt, taking after Jayalalithaa -- who was popularly known among her legions of supporters as Amma (or mother). Sasikala will be the third woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Janaki Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. (ANI)

Will have to wait to know what voters think: Congress on Sasikala as Tamil Nadu CM

The Supreme Court is likely to deliver a verdict in disproportionate assets case against late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, her aide&nbsp;VK Sasikala.

The court had reserved its judgement on June 7, 2016.

The developments comes a day after Sasikala was elected as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)&nbsp;Party leader, paying way to become the chief minister.

The Supreme Court will give the verdict on various appeals including the one filed by Karnataka against the acquittal of Jayalalithaa and others in a disproportionate assets case.

The Karnataka government will be arguing the case, as the case had been shifted from Tamil Nadu. A Bangalore court had convicted both the accused.

Sasikala&#39;s two relatives, V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi were also involved.&nbsp;

Jayalalithaa was chief minister from June 24, 1991, to May 13, 1996. Dave alleged that Sasikala and her two relatives had acted in together to amass huge wealth of Rs 53.60 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The Karnataka HC had on May 11, 2015 ruled that AIADMK supremo&#39;s conviction by special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law, clearing decks for her return as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Karnataka government, in its plea against May 11 order, claimed that HC had erred in computing disproportionate assets of the AIADMK leader. The Karnataka government also asked whether the high court had &quot;erred in law&quot; by according benefit of the&nbsp;doubt to Jayalalithaa in pursuance of a Supreme Court judgement holding that accused can be acquitted if his or her disproportionate assets were to the extent of ten per cent.

The state government had also claimed that the high court has erred in overruling preliminary objections raised by it and added that the accused had filed their appeals against conviction without impleading Karnataka as a party. The special court had in 2014 held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore.

(This article first appeared on DNA)

The developments come a day after Sasikala was elected as the legislature party leader paving the way for her to become the chief minister

The Supreme Court is likely to deliver a verdict in disproportionate assets case against late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, her aide VK Sasikala. The court had reserved its judgement on June 7, 2016. The developments comes a day after Sasikala was elected as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Party leader, paying way to become the chief minister. The Supreme Court will give the verdict on various appeals including the one filed by Karnataka against the acquittal of Jayalalithaa and others in a disproportionate assets case. The Karnataka government will be arguing the case, as the case had been shifted from Tamil Nadu. A Bangalore court had convicted both the accused. Sasikala's two relatives, V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi were also involved. Jayalalithaa was chief minister from June 24, 1991, to May 13, 1996. Dave alleged that Sasikala and her two relatives had acted in together to amass huge wealth of Rs 53.60 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income. The Karnataka HC had on May 11, 2015 ruled that AIADMK supremo's conviction by special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law, clearing decks for her return as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Karnataka government, in its plea against May 11 order, claimed that HC had erred in computing disproportionate assets of the AIADMK leader. The Karnataka government also asked whether the high court had "erred in law" by according benefit of the doubt to Jayalalithaa in pursuance of a Supreme Court judgement holding that accused can be acquitted if his or her disproportionate assets were to the extent of ten per cent. The state government had also claimed that the high court has erred in overruling preliminary objections raised by it and added that the accused had filed their appeals against conviction without impleading Karnataka as a party. The special court had in 2014 held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore. (This article first appeared on DNA)

Setback for Sasikala? SC verdict on Jayalalithaa's disproportionate assets case likely this week

A Public interest litigation(PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain swearing-in of AIADMK leader VK Sasikala as Tamil Nadu chief minister.&nbsp;

However, the Madras University Auditorium, which had earlier hosted the swearing-in of late chief minister Jayalalithaa, was being reportedly spruced up for the occasion, while apparently awaiting the court directive. A senior AIADMK source told PTI that&nbsp;all arrangements were in place in the event of the ceremony taking place tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has&nbsp;asked the Karnataka government to wait for one week for the verdict on batch of pleas challenging the acquittal of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case, also involving AIADMK leader V K Sasikala.

A bench headed by Justice P C Ghose asked senior advocate Dushyant Dave to wait for one week after he made a mention before it regarding the delay in pronouncement of the verdict.

Dave said that they have been waiting for the judgement for quite some time and requested the bench to pronounce it soon.&nbsp;The apex court had last year, before the demise of Jayalalithaa, reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the order of her acquittal of the Karnataka High Court.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/who-is-vk-sasikala-12063">Sasikala, a shadow of Jayalalithaa</a> for nearly three decades, is set to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu as the AIADMK legislature party yesterday elected her as its leader, over a month after she became the party&#39;s powerful General Secretary.

&nbsp;

 
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p4UrDlvehCc" width="560"></iframe><centre></centre></centre>

(PTI)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The development comes a day after Sasikala was elected as the AIADMK leader and is now set to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu

A Public interest litigation(PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain swearing-in of AIADMK leader VK Sasikala as Tamil Nadu chief minister. However, the Madras University Auditorium, which had earlier hosted the swearing-in of late chief minister Jayalalithaa, was being reportedly spruced up for the occasion, while apparently awaiting the court directive. A senior AIADMK source told PTI that all arrangements were in place in the event of the ceremony taking place tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has asked the Karnataka government to wait for one week for the verdict on batch of pleas challenging the acquittal of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case, also involving AIADMK leader V K Sasikala. A bench headed by Justice P C Ghose asked senior advocate Dushyant Dave to wait for one week after he made a mention before it regarding the delay in pronouncement of the verdict. Dave said that they have been waiting for the judgement for quite some time and requested the bench to pronounce it soon. The apex court had last year, before the demise of Jayalalithaa, reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the order of her acquittal of the Karnataka High Court. Sasikala, a shadow of Jayalalithaa for nearly three decades, is set to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu as the AIADMK legislature party yesterday elected her as its leader, over a month after she became the party's powerful General Secretary. (PTI)

PIL filed in Supreme Court against Sasikala's swearing-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday slammed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for its lack of transparency in latter&#39;s office affairs in relation to Sasikala Natrajan&#39;s appointment as the legislative party leader of the AIADMK.

The DMK also expressed its confidence in its party leader MK Stalin for facing the AIADMK in the elections and yielding great results. &quot;We have always pointed out there is no transparency in how the affairs of the AIADMK are functioning. Right from the hospital association of the chief minister or yesterday&#39;s incident on how the resignation letters were sought from top advisors of the government. Everything is shrouded in mystery,&quot; DMK spokesperson A Saravanan told ANI.

He further asserted that there is nothing new or shocking about the quick development as the AIADMK has always worked in mysterious ways.&nbsp;

Beaming with confidence in his leader MK Stalin and the DMK&#39;s history of defeating the AIADMK on many accounts he said, &quot;Ever since our leader MK Stalin took charge as our working president and especially as the opposition leader, he has been commended a lot for his dignified politics, courteous manner and how he brought back lot of bonhomie into politics. He is gaining appreciation. That will definitely guide us to victory in whatever we face,&quot; Sarvanan said.

He added that the DMK has seen a lot of famous political leaders in the opposition and has fought and won fair and square. &quot;Be it the case of great leader Ram Raj, Raja ji or MGR all of them we have fought them and we have won them, so there is nothing for us to&nbsp;fear, we have the faith in people, we have the faith in our ideologies and policies, and the way we have implemented our policies for the development of Tamil Nadu,&quot; Sarvanan said.

AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan on Sunday was elected as the legislative party leader of the party and with this, she is all set to take over as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Incumbent chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam proposed the name of Chinnamma (Sasikala Natarajan) as the AIADMK legislative party leader.

Speculations were rife that party general secretary Sasikala would be chosen as the new legislative party leader -- paving the way for her to assume the chief minister&#39;s mantle. Though many party leaders favour such a move, a few believe Panneerselvam should be retained because he is doing a good job at the helm of affairs.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa and AIADMK leader KC Palaniswamy complained to the Election Commission (EC) that Sasikala&#39;s appointment as the party&#39;s interim general secretary was carried out in an undemocratic manner. The Election Commission then issued a notice to the AIADMK, seeking clarifications in this regard.

Sasikala will be the third woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Janaki Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The DMK also expressed its confidence in its party leader MK Stalin for facing the AIADMK in the elections and yielding great results

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday slammed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for its lack of transparency in latter's office affairs in relation to Sasikala Natrajan's appointment as the legislative party leader of the AIADMK. The DMK also expressed its confidence in its party leader MK Stalin for facing the AIADMK in the elections and yielding great results. "We have always pointed out there is no transparency in how the affairs of the AIADMK are functioning. Right from the hospital association of the chief minister or yesterday's incident on how the resignation letters were sought from top advisors of the government. Everything is shrouded in mystery," DMK spokesperson A Saravanan told ANI. He further asserted that there is nothing new or shocking about the quick development as the AIADMK has always worked in mysterious ways. Beaming with confidence in his leader MK Stalin and the DMK's history of defeating the AIADMK on many accounts he said, "Ever since our leader MK Stalin took charge as our working president and especially as the opposition leader, he has been commended a lot for his dignified politics, courteous manner and how he brought back lot of bonhomie into politics. He is gaining appreciation. That will definitely guide us to victory in whatever we face," Sarvanan said. He added that the DMK has seen a lot of famous political leaders in the opposition and has fought and won fair and square. "Be it the case of great leader Ram Raj, Raja ji or MGR all of them we have fought them and we have won them, so there is nothing for us to fear, we have the faith in people, we have the faith in our ideologies and policies, and the way we have implemented our policies for the development of Tamil Nadu," Sarvanan said. AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan on Sunday was elected as the legislative party leader of the party and with this, she is all set to take over as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Incumbent chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam proposed the name of Chinnamma (Sasikala Natarajan) as the AIADMK legislative party leader. Speculations were rife that party general secretary Sasikala would be chosen as the new legislative party leader -- paving the way for her to assume the chief minister's mantle. Though many party leaders favour such a move, a few believe Panneerselvam should be retained because he is doing a good job at the helm of affairs. Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa and AIADMK leader KC Palaniswamy complained to the Election Commission (EC) that Sasikala's appointment as the party's interim general secretary was carried out in an undemocratic manner. The Election Commission then issued a notice to the AIADMK, seeking clarifications in this regard. Sasikala will be the third woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Janaki Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. (ANI)

Sasikala as Tamil Nadu CM: DMK slams AIADMK for lack of transparency

Instituting a veiled attack on the leadership of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramaniam Swamy on Sunday said it would be awkward if AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala goes on to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, citing her involvement in the disproportionate assets case.

&quot;There was no bar to Sasikala becoming the chief minister but, the practical questions are there. There&#39;s my case in the Supreme Court regarding the disproportionate assets. She&#39;s also party to it. She is also one of the accused. So, it will be awkward if she becomes the chief minister,&quot; he told ANI.

&quot;Moreover, before she fights by-elections, the Supreme Court judgement will come. So, going by the reports that she is not going to stake a claim to become the chief minister, I think, it&#39;s a wise move. This is because as it is she is a very powerful person as far as the general secretary-ship of the party is concerned,&quot; he added.

Earlier, a meeting of party MLAs to be chaired by Sasikala on Sunday triggered speculations that she was set to replace chief minister O Panneerselvam as the leader of the party. Senior leaders of the AIADMK, however, dismissed rumours of any imminent change in the party leadership and said the meeting was to facilitate better communication between the MLAs and the government.

Swamy also attacked chief economic advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian for presenting a survey that showed that Indian economy is in a bad shape, which he begs to differ with.&nbsp;

&quot;They are still depending on the National Sample Survey for estimates. The economic survey has painted a very gloomy picture. I have made a strong objection against Aravind Subramaniam taking out such a report because the picture is not as gloomy as the Economic Survey is making it out to be,&quot; Swamy told ANI.

The senior leader also commented on the Chennai oil spill that has been plaguing the state for days now. &quot;It&#39;s a shocking thing as the initial statement was that there was no oil spill. And it is huge. So, there are matters that need to be explained. How did the accident happen? Was it negligence? What should be done that it doesn&#39;t happen again?&quot; he said.

Two vessels namely, MT BW MAPLE and MT DAWN KANCHIPURAM, while crossing each other collided on January 28 outside the Kamrajar harbour along the Chennai-Ennore coastline. The Oil Tanker, MT DAWN KANCHIPURAM, which was carrying 32813 Tonnes of POL, suffered a rupture which led to engine oil spill.

A massive clean-up operation was launched in Tiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram Districts by engaging more than 2,000 persons at various sites including Ernavur, Chennai Fishing Harbour, Marine Beach, Besant Nagar, Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Neelankarai and Injambakkam beaches.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

The MP said while there was no bar to her becoming the CM, her involvement in the disproportionate assets case would make it awkward

Instituting a veiled attack on the leadership of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramaniam Swamy on Sunday said it would be awkward if AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala goes on to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, citing her involvement in the disproportionate assets case. "There was no bar to Sasikala becoming the chief minister but, the practical questions are there. There's my case in the Supreme Court regarding the disproportionate assets. She's also party to it. She is also one of the accused. So, it will be awkward if she becomes the chief minister," he told ANI. "Moreover, before she fights by-elections, the Supreme Court judgement will come. So, going by the reports that she is not going to stake a claim to become the chief minister, I think, it's a wise move. This is because as it is she is a very powerful person as far as the general secretary-ship of the party is concerned," he added. Earlier, a meeting of party MLAs to be chaired by Sasikala on Sunday triggered speculations that she was set to replace chief minister O Panneerselvam as the leader of the party. Senior leaders of the AIADMK, however, dismissed rumours of any imminent change in the party leadership and said the meeting was to facilitate better communication between the MLAs and the government. Swamy also attacked chief economic advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian for presenting a survey that showed that Indian economy is in a bad shape, which he begs to differ with. "They are still depending on the National Sample Survey for estimates. The economic survey has painted a very gloomy picture. I have made a strong objection against Aravind Subramaniam taking out such a report because the picture is not as gloomy as the Economic Survey is making it out to be," Swamy told ANI. The senior leader also commented on the Chennai oil spill that has been plaguing the state for days now. "It's a shocking thing as the initial statement was that there was no oil spill. And it is huge. So, there are matters that need to be explained. How did the accident happen? Was it negligence? What should be done that it doesn't happen again?" he said. Two vessels namely, MT BW MAPLE and MT DAWN KANCHIPURAM, while crossing each other collided on January 28 outside the Kamrajar harbour along the Chennai-Ennore coastline. The Oil Tanker, MT DAWN KANCHIPURAM, which was carrying 32813 Tonnes of POL, suffered a rupture which led to engine oil spill. A massive clean-up operation was launched in Tiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram Districts by engaging more than 2,000 persons at various sites including Ernavur, Chennai Fishing Harbour, Marine Beach, Besant Nagar, Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Neelankarai and Injambakkam beaches. (ANI)

It'd be awkward if Sasikala becomes Tamil Nadu CM: Swamy

VK Sasikala Natarajan, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who took over as AIADMK General Secretary in December, is likely to take over as the CM of the Southern Indian state next week.

According to reports, Sasikala may take over from O Panneerselvam, on February 8 or 9 and a decision in this regard could likely to be taken at a meeting of the AIADMK MLAs on Sunday.

The development comes a day after Sasikala appointed senior leaders, including some former ministers and a former Mayor, to key party posts.

Former ministers KA Sengottaiyan, S Gokula Indira and BV Ramana, besides ex-Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy were appointed as the party&#39;s organisation secretaries, she said. She announced the appointment of various senior leaders, including fisheries minister D Jayakumar, to a number of posts.

She also announced the removal of Ambattur MLA V Alexander as AIADMK&#39;s MGR Youth Wing secretary.

Meanwhile, reversing the appointments made by Jayalalithaa, three top bureaucrats of the state government&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-tamil-nadu-jayalalithaa-s-trusted-aide-asked-to-quit-by-the-cm-panneerselvam-2311563" target="_blank">have been asked to resign</a>&nbsp;by CMO.

Earlier, pledging to take forward the legacy of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala had asserted that none other than party founder MG Ramachandran, Dravidian ideologue CN Annadurai and &#39;Amma&#39; would be given prominence in the party.

In her first formal address to functionaries after formally taking charge as party chief, Sasikala had said that the AIADMK will continue to be run in the same way as it was during Amma;s time when it was administered with a level of &quot;discipline as seen in the Army&quot;. It will continue to follow in the footsteps of these great leaders who looked beyond caste and religion, she said. Her assertion came against the backdrop of some murmur of protests against her taking over as the party&#39;s general secretary.

(This first appeared in DNA)

Reports suggest that Sasikala may take over from O Panneerselvam on February 8 or 9

VK Sasikala Natarajan, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who took over as AIADMK General Secretary in December, is likely to take over as the CM of the Southern Indian state next week. According to reports, Sasikala may take over from O Panneerselvam, on February 8 or 9 and a decision in this regard could likely to be taken at a meeting of the AIADMK MLAs on Sunday. The development comes a day after Sasikala appointed senior leaders, including some former ministers and a former Mayor, to key party posts. Former ministers KA Sengottaiyan, S Gokula Indira and BV Ramana, besides ex-Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy were appointed as the party's organisation secretaries, she said. She announced the appointment of various senior leaders, including fisheries minister D Jayakumar, to a number of posts. She also announced the removal of Ambattur MLA V Alexander as AIADMK's MGR Youth Wing secretary. Meanwhile, reversing the appointments made by Jayalalithaa, three top bureaucrats of the state government have been asked to resign by CMO. Earlier, pledging to take forward the legacy of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala had asserted that none other than party founder MG Ramachandran, Dravidian ideologue CN Annadurai and 'Amma' would be given prominence in the party. In her first formal address to functionaries after formally taking charge as party chief, Sasikala had said that the AIADMK will continue to be run in the same way as it was during Amma;s time when it was administered with a level of "discipline as seen in the Army". It will continue to follow in the footsteps of these great leaders who looked beyond caste and religion, she said. Her assertion came against the backdrop of some murmur of protests against her taking over as the party's general secretary. (This first appeared in DNA)

India: AIADMK general secretary Sasikala may take over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu

Late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa&#39;s niece Deepa Jayakumar said on Tuesday that she would join the AIADMK, or float a new party, reported ANI.&nbsp;

Speaking to the media, Deepa Jayakumar said, &quot;I have two options&mdash; to join AIADMK or to float a new party. I will discuss with my supporters before making a decision.&quot;

She also said that she cannot accept anyone else in Jayalalithaa&#39;s erstwhile position.

Jayalalithaa was the erstwhile general secretary of the AIADMK, a position now occupied by Jayalalithaa&#39;s one-time aide and confidant Sasikala Natarajan.&nbsp;

&quot;Sasikala&#39;s family is claiming that Jayalalithaa was working based on their ideas, this is false. There are many rumours being spread just to defame me, and people don&#39;t know the reality,&quot; she added.

Earlier this month, Deepa had hinted at her entry into politics, saying it cannot be stopped.

&quot;My entry into politics cannot be stopped,&quot; she told supporters who had gathered at her Thyagaraya Nagar residence.

Supporters had thronged her residence, urging her to enter politics and carry forward the work of her late aunt Jayalalithaa.

Deepa is the daughter of Jayalalithaa&#39;s only brother late Jayakumar.

She caught the media&#39;s attention recently when she alleged that she was not allowed to meet Jayalalithaa while the late AIADMK supremo was hospitalised for 75 days before she passed away on December 5 last year.&nbsp;

(This report first appeared in DNA)

She also said she cannot accept anyone else in Jayalalithaa's erstwhile position

Late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar said on Tuesday that she would join the AIADMK, or float a new party, reported ANI. Speaking to the media, Deepa Jayakumar said, "I have two options— to join AIADMK or to float a new party. I will discuss with my supporters before making a decision." She also said that she cannot accept anyone else in Jayalalithaa's erstwhile position. Jayalalithaa was the erstwhile general secretary of the AIADMK, a position now occupied by Jayalalithaa's one-time aide and confidant Sasikala Natarajan. "Sasikala's family is claiming that Jayalalithaa was working based on their ideas, this is false. There are many rumours being spread just to defame me, and people don't know the reality," she added. Earlier this month, Deepa had hinted at her entry into politics, saying it cannot be stopped. "My entry into politics cannot be stopped," she told supporters who had gathered at her Thyagaraya Nagar residence. Supporters had thronged her residence, urging her to enter politics and carry forward the work of her late aunt Jayalalithaa. Deepa is the daughter of Jayalalithaa's only brother late Jayakumar. She caught the media's attention recently when she alleged that she was not allowed to meet Jayalalithaa while the late AIADMK supremo was hospitalised for 75 days before she passed away on December 5 last year. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Jayalalithaa's niece says she will join AIADMK, or float new party

Amid cheers by thousands of supporters, VK Sasikala, close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, &nbsp;took charge as AIADMK general secretary, the top party post on Saturday.

&quot;Amma (Jayalalithaa) is always in my heart,&quot; an emotionally charged Sasikala said after assuming charge, adding she had been with Jayalalithaa for party meetings for over 33 years and that the AIADMK will continue to rule for many years.

The close aide of late Jayalalithaa first garlanded the statue of party founder M G Ramachandran at the AIADMK headquarters here after she arrived in the midst of tight security.

She then proceeded to pay floral tributes to the portrait of Jayalalithaa.

Sasikala formally assumed charge by signing papers after which she proceeded to address the gathering outside.

En route to the party office, she was given a rousing welcome by party leaders, functionaries and cadres who had gathered in large numbers.

Party activists had lined up on both sides of the road from the Poes Garden residence to the party headquarters at Royapettah to welcome her.

Sasikala, clad in a light green saree with a pink border, greeted them with folded hands.

Party flags, banners and festoons sporting bright images of Jayalalithaa and Sasikala were put up on roads, all along from Poes garden to Royapettah.

AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan, party treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, veteran party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai, received Sasikala and accompanied her to the party office.

Party leaders led her to the office of the general secretary where she held discussions with Panneerselvam, who is also party treasurer, Madusudanan, Thambidurai, and others.

The AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah was spruced up for the occasion. A platform was set up near the MGR statue to facilitate Sasikala to pay tributes to the party founder before taking charge. Ministers, party MPs, MLAs also participated.

On December 29, a meeting of AIADMK&#39;s top decision making body, the general council, which was attended by all top leaders including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, took the decision to appoint her as part general secretary by adopting a resolution unanimously.

(PTI) 
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Sasikala was given a rousing welcome by party leaders, functionaries and cadres of the AIADMK

Amid cheers by thousands of supporters, VK Sasikala, close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, took charge as AIADMK general secretary, the top party post on Saturday. "Amma (Jayalalithaa) is always in my heart," an emotionally charged Sasikala said after assuming charge, adding she had been with Jayalalithaa for party meetings for over 33 years and that the AIADMK will continue to rule for many years. The close aide of late Jayalalithaa first garlanded the statue of party founder M G Ramachandran at the AIADMK headquarters here after she arrived in the midst of tight security. She then proceeded to pay floral tributes to the portrait of Jayalalithaa. Sasikala formally assumed charge by signing papers after which she proceeded to address the gathering outside. En route to the party office, she was given a rousing welcome by party leaders, functionaries and cadres who had gathered in large numbers. Party activists had lined up on both sides of the road from the Poes Garden residence to the party headquarters at Royapettah to welcome her. Sasikala, clad in a light green saree with a pink border, greeted them with folded hands. Party flags, banners and festoons sporting bright images of Jayalalithaa and Sasikala were put up on roads, all along from Poes garden to Royapettah. AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan, party treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, veteran party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai, received Sasikala and accompanied her to the party office. Party leaders led her to the office of the general secretary where she held discussions with Panneerselvam, who is also party treasurer, Madusudanan, Thambidurai, and others. The AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah was spruced up for the occasion. A platform was set up near the MGR statue to facilitate Sasikala to pay tributes to the party founder before taking charge. Ministers, party MPs, MLAs also participated. On December 29, a meeting of AIADMK's top decision making body, the general council, which was attended by all top leaders including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, took the decision to appoint her as part general secretary by adopting a resolution unanimously. (PTI)

Sasikala takes over as chief of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK party

The AIADMK, at its general body meeting&nbsp;Thursday, elected Sasikala Natarajan party general secretary.&nbsp;

It also adopted the resolution to work &quot;under the leadership of Sasikala Natarajan&quot;.

Sasikala used to be former party supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa&#39;s aide and confidante.

She held no official position within the party. &nbsp;

The post of general secretary was formerly held by Jayalalithaa.

ANI reported that 14 resolutions were passed at the general body meeting.&nbsp;

They included a resolution demanding Jayalalithaa&#39;s birthday be celebrated as &quot;National Farmers&#39; Day&quot;, and the resolutions that she be conferred with the Magsaysay award and the Nobel peace prize.&nbsp;

(WION)

The post was formerly held by ex-Tamil Nadu chief minister and party supremo Jayalalithaa

The AIADMK, at its general body meeting Thursday, elected Sasikala Natarajan party general secretary. It also adopted the resolution to work "under the leadership of Sasikala Natarajan". Sasikala used to be former party supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's aide and confidante. She held no official position within the party. The post of general secretary was formerly held by Jayalalithaa. ANI reported that 14 resolutions were passed at the general body meeting. They included a resolution demanding Jayalalithaa's birthday be celebrated as "National Farmers' Day", and the resolutions that she be conferred with the Magsaysay award and the Nobel peace prize. (WION)

AIADMK elects Sasikala as party general secretary

An expelled leader of an Indian regional party was assaulted by a crowd on Wednesday afternoon.

Sasikala Pushpa, an expelled member of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) -- which is the ruling party of India&#39;s southern state of Tamil Nadu -- and her husband Lingeswara Thalagan sustained injuries when they tried to enter the party headquarters in Tamil Nadu&#39;s capital city Chennai.

Her lawyers were not spared either.

<blockquote data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Suspended AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa&#39;s lawyer attacked outside party office by AIADMK workers in Chennai. <a href="https://t.co/u10t63TmzX">pic.twitter.com/u10t63TmzX</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/814031596391047168">December 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

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Sasikala and her husband had gone to the AIADMK office to submit nomination papers for the post of party general secretary.

Sasikala was expelled from the party for her outbursts in the Indian Parliament on August 1.&nbsp;

The general secretary post has been lying vacant since the demise of the then state&nbsp;chief minister Jayalalithaa on December 5.

Jayalalithaa&#39;s close aide Sasikala Natarajan is the favourite to take over the reins of the regional party.

Sasikala Pushpa&#39;s decision to contest for the post had riled vast swathes of AIADMK&#39;s cadre as the majority of them want Sasikala Natarajan to become the next party chief.

On Wednesday, hundreds of party members had massed outside the party office to prevent Saikala Pushpa from entering the premises.

<blockquote data-lang="en">
She(Sasikala Pushpa) is no more in AIADMK, what right does she have to come to the party office?:CR Saraswathy,AIADMK to ANI
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/814049919577133056">December 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

(WION)

Sasikala Pushpa and her husband had gone to the party headquarters to submit nomination papers for the post of party general secretary

An expelled leader of an Indian regional party was assaulted by a crowd on Wednesday afternoon. Sasikala Pushpa, an expelled member of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) -- which is the ruling party of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu -- and her husband Lingeswara Thalagan sustained injuries when they tried to enter the party headquarters in Tamil Nadu's capital city Chennai. Her lawyers were not spared either. #WATCH: Suspended AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa's lawyer attacked outside party office by AIADMK workers in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/u10t63TmzX — ANI (@ANI_news) December 28, 2016 Sasikala and her husband had gone to the AIADMK office to submit nomination papers for the post of party general secretary. Sasikala was expelled from the party for her outbursts in the Indian Parliament on August 1. The general secretary post has been lying vacant since the demise of the then state chief minister Jayalalithaa on December 5. Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala Natarajan is the favourite to take over the reins of the regional party. Sasikala Pushpa's decision to contest for the post had riled vast swathes of AIADMK's cadre as the majority of them want Sasikala Natarajan to become the next party chief. On Wednesday, hundreds of party members had massed outside the party office to prevent Saikala Pushpa from entering the premises. She(Sasikala Pushpa) is no more in AIADMK, what right does she have to come to the party office?:CR Saraswathy,AIADMK to ANI — ANI (@ANI_news) December 28, 2016 (WION)

AIADMK's expelled leader Sasikala assaulted by partymen

The ruling AIADMK on Thursday strongly backed former chief minister Jayalalithaa&#39;s&nbsp;close aide VK Sasikala to succeed her as party General Secretary, saying she qualifies to be&nbsp;elected &quot;automatically&quot; and &quot;unanimously&quot; to the post by virtue of being the departed leader&#39;s&nbsp;&quot;conscience&quot; for long.

Party spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said while Jayalalithaa was the &quot;conscience&quot; of AIADMK founder and&nbsp;her mentor M G Ramachandran, Sasikala was, likewise, her &quot;conscience.&quot;

&quot;Chinnamma (as Sasikala is addressed by party workers), had been with Amma through her good and bad&nbsp;times for 33 years. She had been Amma&#39;s conscience and continues to be so. She has played a vital&nbsp;role in keeping the party intact for long. Therefore, Chinnamma will be elected as General Secretary&nbsp;automatically and unanimously. There is no doubt or fear in that,&quot; he told reporters here.

He expressed confidence that the party&#39;s decision-making bodies, General Council and Executive&nbsp;Council, have powers to elect Sasikala to lead the party and that the &quot;aspirations will be met&quot; in&nbsp;this regard.

Indicating their proximity, he said Sasikala was Jayalalithaa&#39;s &#39;udanpirava sagothari&#39; (surrogate&nbsp;sister).

Ponnaiyan said an online campaign on WhatsApp and Facebook to &quot;defame Sasikala&quot; and &quot;finish off&nbsp;AIADMK&quot; by &quot;opposition parties&quot; will not succeed.

Ponnaiyan recalled that whenever the party functionaries would want to discuss an issue with&nbsp;Jayalalithaa, she would &quot;affectionately&quot; refer them to Sasikala and &quot;gave so much of importance to&nbsp;her&quot;.

Sasikala &quot;cared for and protected&quot; Jayalalithaa, he said, adding, she had been a &quot;shadow&quot; and&nbsp;&quot;conscience&quot; of the late leader.

Meanwhile, scores of senior party functionaries thronged the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa&nbsp;and urged Sasikala to take over the reins of AIADMK and lead the party.

Senior leaders, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai,&nbsp;had earlier voiced their support for Sasikala&#39;s elevation to the post.

(PTI)

It said she qualifies to be?elected 'automatically' and 'unanimously' by virtue of being Jaya's 'conscience'

The ruling AIADMK on Thursday strongly backed former chief minister Jayalalithaa's close aide VK Sasikala to succeed her as party General Secretary, saying she qualifies to be elected "automatically" and "unanimously" to the post by virtue of being the departed leader's "conscience" for long. Party spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said while Jayalalithaa was the "conscience" of AIADMK founder and her mentor M G Ramachandran, Sasikala was, likewise, her "conscience." "Chinnamma (as Sasikala is addressed by party workers), had been with Amma through her good and bad times for 33 years. She had been Amma's conscience and continues to be so. She has played a vital role in keeping the party intact for long. Therefore, Chinnamma will be elected as General Secretary automatically and unanimously. There is no doubt or fear in that," he told reporters here. He expressed confidence that the party's decision-making bodies, General Council and Executive Council, have powers to elect Sasikala to lead the party and that the "aspirations will be met" in this regard. Indicating their proximity, he said Sasikala was Jayalalithaa's 'udanpirava sagothari' (surrogate sister). Ponnaiyan said an online campaign on WhatsApp and Facebook to "defame Sasikala" and "finish off AIADMK" by "opposition parties" will not succeed. Ponnaiyan recalled that whenever the party functionaries would want to discuss an issue with Jayalalithaa, she would "affectionately" refer them to Sasikala and "gave so much of importance to her". Sasikala "cared for and protected" Jayalalithaa, he said, adding, she had been a "shadow" and "conscience" of the late leader. Meanwhile, scores of senior party functionaries thronged the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa and urged Sasikala to take over the reins of AIADMK and lead the party. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, had earlier voiced their support for Sasikala's elevation to the post. (PTI)

India: AIADMK backs Sasikala to succeed Jayalalithaa as general secretary

Tamil Nadu state&#39;s ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party claimed Wednesday that 77 people died of grief over the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.&nbsp;

&quot;77 persons have died of grief and shock after having to come to know of honourable Amma&#39;s (Jayalalithaa) illness and death,&quot; the AIADMK said in a statement.&nbsp;

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77 people died of grief, shock over illness and demise of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jayalalithaa?src=hash">#Jayalalithaa</a>, AIADMK announces Rs 3 lakhs compensation for their families: AIADMK
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/806582737402404864">December 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The party said compensation of Rs 3 lakh would be given to each to the families.&nbsp;

Compensation of Rs 50,000 will also be given to the party member who tried to burn himself, and to the party member who cut off his finger.&nbsp;

The AIADMK released a list of all 77 people.&nbsp;

The PTI however reported that a &quot;central intelligence estimate&quot; put the death toll at 30, plus four suicide attempts.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Tamil Nadu's ruling party said Rs 3 lakh will be paid as compensation to each of the families

Tamil Nadu state's ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party claimed Wednesday that 77 people died of grief over the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. "77 persons have died of grief and shock after having to come to know of honourable Amma's (Jayalalithaa) illness and death," the AIADMK said in a statement. 77 people died of grief, shock over illness and demise of #Jayalalithaa, AIADMK announces Rs 3 lakhs compensation for their families: AIADMK — ANI (@ANI_news) December 7, 2016 × The party said compensation of Rs 3 lakh would be given to each to the families. Compensation of Rs 50,000 will also be given to the party member who tried to burn himself, and to the party member who cut off his finger. The AIADMK released a list of all 77 people. The PTI however reported that a "central intelligence estimate" put the death toll at 30, plus four suicide attempts. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: AIADMK says 77 people died of grief over Jayalalithaa's death

Life virtually came to a grinding halt here as the city woke up to deserted streets with shops, including eateries, remaining shut in the wake of the demise of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

Public transport services, including autorickshaws, were off the roads while some private vehicles were seen plying in various parts of the city where police personnel kept a tight vigil at vantage points.

A near-total shutdown-like situation prevailed in the city and several other parts of the state since last evening itself.

The focus today turned to Rajaji Hall where Jayalalithaa&#39;s body is lying in state to enable public pay their homage.

With even tea stalls, which usually do a brisk business in the early hours, remaining closed, mobile tea vendors could be seen dispensing the brew at some places. Hotels are also closed.

Suburban train services, however, were being operated in the city, albeit with lower passenger rush.

Long distance trains arriving at Chennai Central and Egmore stations were on time.

The state government has declared a holiday today for its offices and three-days for educational institutions as a mark of respect to the departed leader.

Meanwhile, the Tamil film industry announced cancellation of shootings scheduled for today. Theaters also cancelled shows.&nbsp;

Govt declares holiday for its offices today

The government also announced Tuesday&nbsp;as a holiday for its offices under the Negotiable Instruments Act, as a mark of respect to&nbsp;J Jayalalithaa.

A Government Order (GO) said the notified public holiday will apply to all state government offices, undertakings, corporations and boards.

&quot;Under the Explanation to Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 read with Notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs No.20-25-26, Public-1, dated 8th June 1957 the Government of Tamil Nadu hereby declares that Tuesday, the 6th of December, 2016 as a public holiday as a mark of respect to the late Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Hon&#39;ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,&quot; it said.

The day will be also treated as a paid holiday for all industrial employees on regular work charge and industrial establishments and the labour hired on daily wages, it said.

The government also issued another order declaring three days holidays for &quot;all educational institutions&quot; starting today.

The holidays were being declared &quot;as a mark of respect&quot; to the late leader, the GO said.

(PTI)&nbsp; 
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A near-total shutdown-like situation prevailed in the city

Life virtually came to a grinding halt here as the city woke up to deserted streets with shops, including eateries, remaining shut in the wake of the demise of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Public transport services, including autorickshaws, were off the roads while some private vehicles were seen plying in various parts of the city where police personnel kept a tight vigil at vantage points. A near-total shutdown-like situation prevailed in the city and several other parts of the state since last evening itself. The focus today turned to Rajaji Hall where Jayalalithaa's body is lying in state to enable public pay their homage. With even tea stalls, which usually do a brisk business in the early hours, remaining closed, mobile tea vendors could be seen dispensing the brew at some places. Hotels are also closed. Suburban train services, however, were being operated in the city, albeit with lower passenger rush. Long distance trains arriving at Chennai Central and Egmore stations were on time. The state government has declared a holiday today for its offices and three-days for educational institutions as a mark of respect to the departed leader. Meanwhile, the Tamil film industry announced cancellation of shootings scheduled for today. Theaters also cancelled shows. Govt declares holiday for its offices today The government also announced Tuesday as a holiday for its offices under the Negotiable Instruments Act, as a mark of respect to J Jayalalithaa. A Government Order (GO) said the notified public holiday will apply to all state government offices, undertakings, corporations and boards. "Under the Explanation to Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 read with Notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs No.20-25-26, Public-1, dated 8th June 1957 the Government of Tamil Nadu hereby declares that Tuesday, the 6th of December, 2016 as a public holiday as a mark of respect to the late Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu," it said. The day will be also treated as a paid holiday for all industrial employees on regular work charge and industrial establishments and the labour hired on daily wages, it said. The government also issued another order declaring three days holidays for "all educational institutions" starting today. The holidays were being declared "as a mark of respect" to the late leader, the GO said. (PTI)

Chennai comes to grinding halt morning after Jayalalithaa's death

O Panneerselvam, trusted aide to and state finance minister under Jayalalithaa, was sworn in as chief minister hours after Jayalalithaa passed away.&nbsp;

Panneerselvam, along with 31 ministers from Jayalalithaa&#39;s cabinet, took their&nbsp;oaths at around 1.15 am. Tamil Nadu governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao presided over the oaths which were taken at Chennai&#39;s Raj Bhavan (Government House).&nbsp;

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The 65-year-old Panneerselvam, popularly considered to be Jayalalithaa&#39;s &quot;Man Friday&quot;, takes the top post for the third time.

He also served as chief minister from 2001 to 2002, and again from 2014 to 2015.&nbsp;

The Press Trust of India reported him as taking the oath with a picture of Jayalalithaa in his pocket.&nbsp;

Panneerselvam has been deputising for Jayalalithaa since she was admitted to hospital on September 22. He was given charge of her eight ministries and also chaired cabinet meetings. reportedly with her photograph by his side. &nbsp;

Paneerselvam was elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party before the swearing in.&nbsp;

In a statement, the Raj Bhavan said, Panneerselvam, MLA from Bodinayakanur, met the governor and submitted a letter to him informing him of his election as leader of the AIADMK legislature party.

The governor then &quot;appointed him as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and invited him to form the government,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp;

Paneerselvam also submitted a letter containing the names of his cabinet members and the portfolios given to them to the governor for his approval.&nbsp;

Panneerselvam himself will continue with the same eight ministries that Jayalalithaa headed.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

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This is the third time he will occupy the chair. He has deputised twice before for Jayalalithaa

O Panneerselvam, trusted aide to and state finance minister under Jayalalithaa, was sworn in as chief minister hours after Jayalalithaa passed away. Panneerselvam, along with 31 ministers from Jayalalithaa's cabinet, took their oaths at around 1.15 am. Tamil Nadu governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao presided over the oaths which were taken at Chennai's Raj Bhavan (Government House). Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam and other ministers with Governor after taking oath pic.twitter.com/GLybyq9XZe — ANI (@ANI_news) December 5, 2016 × The 65-year-old Panneerselvam, popularly considered to be Jayalalithaa's "Man Friday", takes the top post for the third time. He also served as chief minister from 2001 to 2002, and again from 2014 to 2015. The Press Trust of India reported him as taking the oath with a picture of Jayalalithaa in his pocket. Panneerselvam has been deputising for Jayalalithaa since she was admitted to hospital on September 22. He was given charge of her eight ministries and also chaired cabinet meetings. reportedly with her photograph by his side. Paneerselvam was elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party before the swearing in. In a statement, the Raj Bhavan said, Panneerselvam, MLA from Bodinayakanur, met the governor and submitted a letter to him informing him of his election as leader of the AIADMK legislature party. The governor then "appointed him as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and invited him to form the government," the statement said. Paneerselvam also submitted a letter containing the names of his cabinet members and the portfolios given to them to the governor for his approval. Panneerselvam himself will continue with the same eight ministries that Jayalalithaa headed. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: Jayalalithaa's trusted aide Panneerselvam sworn in as new chief minister

The chief minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, suffered a cardiac arrest late on Sunday night, sending the capital Chennai in a state of hysteria.

The sentiments of the swelling crowd outside the Apollo hospital, where the leader has&nbsp;been&nbsp;treated for the last 70 days, reflect the power and stature Jayalalithaa has enjoyed in Tamil Nadu for nearly 27 years.

Popularly known as &ldquo;Amma&rdquo; (mother), the leader is considered no less than a &ldquo;demigod&rdquo; by her supporters. The vicinity of her office in the Royapettah area of Chennai is always dotted with vendors selling &ldquo;Amma&rdquo; merchandise. From her posters to stationery items with her pictures, and even photo lockets, they sell it all. Outside her house in the plush Poes Garden, one can always find groups of supporters trying to catch a glimpse of their leader. Her birthdays have been celebrated with King-sized cakes and her many&nbsp;arrests have been followed by days of unrest and violence.

Here&rsquo;s a look at her political career:

In 1982, actress-turned-politician Jayalalithaa joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a party founded by southern Indian cultural and political icon MG Ramachandran&mdash;popularly known as MGR.

Soon after, she was made the party&rsquo;s propaganda secretary in 1983. She also campaigned as a candidate from the Tiruchendur Assembly Constituency.

In 1984, she was elected for the first time as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament.

This was also the year when Jayalalithaa came to the fore during elections to the Lok Sabha (lower house) and the legislative assembly in Tamil Nadu. MGR had fallen ill and was undergoing medical treatment in the United States. In his absence, the alliance of Congress (I) and AIADMK secured a massive victory, marking a turning point in Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s political career.

Two years after MGR&rsquo;s death in 1987 and a split in the AIADMK, Jayalalithaa was elected as a member of Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s legislative assembly in 1989 from the Bodinayakanur constituency.

Jayalalithaa became&nbsp;the first woman leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa got together the warring factions that had split after MGR&rsquo;s death and was unanimously elected the general secretary of the united AIADMK.

That year the Congress (I) and AIADMK alliance swept the Lok Sabha general elections in a historic win.

Jayalalithaa led AIADMK to victory in all the following by-elections from the constituencies of Peranamallur, Madurai East and Marungapuri to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly.

In 1991, Jayalalithaa was sworn-in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, becoming the youngest ever and the second woman chief minister of the state. She remained in power till 1996 with the AIADMK losing assembly elections amid corruption charges.

The disproportionate assets case

Janata Party leader Dr Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint in 1996 in a court accusing Jayalalithaa of amassing wealth amounting to Rs 66.65 crore, which was disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure as chief minister.

Jayalalithaa was arrested on charges of corruption, including amassing disproportionate assets, in December that year.

In 2000, a special court in Chennai convicted Jayalalithaa in the TANSI land deal case. Jaya publication and Sasi enterprises, two companies in which the politico and her close aide Sasikala had holdings, had in 1992 purchased lands of a state government agency.

However, after a landslide win in the 2001 Tamil Nadu legislative assembly elections, Jayalalithaa became the chief minister for a second time in May, but could hold the position only till September 2001.

She was removed from the position after the Supreme Court of India quashed her appointment as she was disqualified to contest due to the TANSI case conviction.

She came back to power in 2002 and then in 2011 for a fourth time, the corruption charges plaguing her political career.

Jayalalithaa stepped down again in 2014 when a trial court in Karnataka held her guilty in the now&nbsp;18-year-old Disproportionate Assets case.

The court sentenced her to a four-year jail term with a fine of Rs&nbsp;100 crore, but she challenged the verdict in the Karnataka High Court.

The judgement led to disturbances in parts of Tamil Nadu with supporters vandalising public property.

In May 2015, the Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalitha in the Disproportionate Assets case.

She became the chief minister in 2015 and for &nbsp;a record sixth time in 2016.

Despite the several corruption charges against her,&nbsp;supporters hail her for her efforts to set-up for-poor programmes like the Amma canteens, which provide daily meals at subsidised rates across Tamil Nadu.

Since September this year Jayalalithaa has been missing from the political centre-stage, undergoing treatment in Chennai for lung infection.

(WION)

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Jayalalithaa is one of the most prominent political figures in India's regional politics

The chief minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, suffered a cardiac arrest late on Sunday night, sending the capital Chennai in a state of hysteria. The sentiments of the swelling crowd outside the Apollo hospital, where the leader has been treated for the last 70 days, reflect the power and stature Jayalalithaa has enjoyed in Tamil Nadu for nearly 27 years. Popularly known as “Amma” (mother), the leader is considered no less than a “demigod” by her supporters. The vicinity of her office in the Royapettah area of Chennai is always dotted with vendors selling “Amma” merchandise. From her posters to stationery items with her pictures, and even photo lockets, they sell it all. Outside her house in the plush Poes Garden, one can always find groups of supporters trying to catch a glimpse of their leader. Her birthdays have been celebrated with King-sized cakes and her many arrests have been followed by days of unrest and violence. Here’s a look at her political career: In 1982, actress-turned-politician Jayalalithaa joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a party founded by southern Indian cultural and political icon MG Ramachandran—popularly known as MGR. Soon after, she was made the party’s propaganda secretary in 1983. She also campaigned as a candidate from the Tiruchendur Assembly Constituency. In 1984, she was elected for the first time as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament. This was also the year when Jayalalithaa came to the fore during elections to the Lok Sabha (lower house) and the legislative assembly in Tamil Nadu. MGR had fallen ill and was undergoing medical treatment in the United States. In his absence, the alliance of Congress (I) and AIADMK secured a massive victory, marking a turning point in Jayalalithaa’s political career. Two years after MGR’s death in 1987 and a split in the AIADMK, Jayalalithaa was elected as a member of Tamil Nadu’s legislative assembly in 1989 from the Bodinayakanur constituency. Jayalalithaa became the first woman leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa got together the warring factions that had split after MGR’s death and was unanimously elected the general secretary of the united AIADMK. That year the Congress (I) and AIADMK alliance swept the Lok Sabha general elections in a historic win. Jayalalithaa led AIADMK to victory in all the following by-elections from the constituencies of Peranamallur, Madurai East and Marungapuri to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. In 1991, Jayalalithaa was sworn-in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, becoming the youngest ever and the second woman chief minister of the state. She remained in power till 1996 with the AIADMK losing assembly elections amid corruption charges. The disproportionate assets case Janata Party leader Dr Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint in 1996 in a court accusing Jayalalithaa of amassing wealth amounting to Rs 66.65 crore, which was disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure as chief minister. Jayalalithaa was arrested on charges of corruption, including amassing disproportionate assets, in December that year. In 2000, a special court in Chennai convicted Jayalalithaa in the TANSI land deal case. Jaya publication and Sasi enterprises, two companies in which the politico and her close aide Sasikala had holdings, had in 1992 purchased lands of a state government agency. However, after a landslide win in the 2001 Tamil Nadu legislative assembly elections, Jayalalithaa became the chief minister for a second time in May, but could hold the position only till September 2001. She was removed from the position after the Supreme Court of India quashed her appointment as she was disqualified to contest due to the TANSI case conviction. She came back to power in 2002 and then in 2011 for a fourth time, the corruption charges plaguing her political career. Jayalalithaa stepped down again in 2014 when a trial court in Karnataka held her guilty in the now 18-year-old Disproportionate Assets case. The court sentenced her to a four-year jail term with a fine of Rs 100 crore, but she challenged the verdict in the Karnataka High Court. The judgement led to disturbances in parts of Tamil Nadu with supporters vandalising public property. In May 2015, the Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalitha in the Disproportionate Assets case. She became the chief minister in 2015 and for a record sixth time in 2016. Despite the several corruption charges against her, supporters hail her for her efforts to set-up for-poor programmes like the Amma canteens, which provide daily meals at subsidised rates across Tamil Nadu. Since September this year Jayalalithaa has been missing from the political centre-stage, undergoing treatment in Chennai for lung infection. (WION)

India: A look at Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's political career so far

Indian politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram, who enjoys a cult-like following among her supporters, continues to remain on life support.

People clashed with each other outside Apollo Hospital, where the 68-year-old politician is being treated at the moment, a day after she suffered a cardiac arrest.

Hundreds of policemen had to step in when they tried to break the barricades deployed outside the hospital.

The situation was grim in the evening as there were unconfirmed reports flashed by local TV channels about Jayalalithaa&#39;s death.

Apollo Hospital had to release a statement quickly to placate her supporters, saying that reports of her death was &quot;baseless&quot; and &quot;false&quot;.

&quot;Our team of expert doctors continue to closely monitor and treat the honourable chief minister. However her condition remains critical,&quot; &nbsp;the hospital tweeted on Monday.

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Our team of expert doctors continue to closely monitor and treat the Honourable Chief Minister. However her condition remains critical.
&mdash; Apollo Hospitals (@HospitalsApollo) <a href="https://twitter.com/HospitalsApollo/status/805737471812071424">December 5, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Hundreds of supporters have been camping outside the hospital&nbsp;as they keenly wait to hear a sliver of good news.

&quot;Everybody feels that she is our mother and her illness is like our family, our mom has been affected so, we are all here ever since we heard the news. She`s a fighter, she has always been, whatever the odds, she had fought very bravely and she has emerged successfully. This time also she will come (out) successfully,&quot; said a supporter.

Prayers were also being held across the state for her speedy recovery.

There were many more supporters who were seen crying as news updates failed to cheer them up.

&quot;Amma should survive. I won&#39;t mind if my life is taken away, but Amma should live,&quot; one supporter cried.&nbsp;

She was hospitalised on September 22 after complaining of fever and dehydration.

On Sunday, Jayalalithaa&#39;s party AIADMK had told media corps that she had recovered and was undergoing physiotherapy. But hours later, Apollo Hospital said she suffered a cardiac arrest, gripping the entire state with anxiety.

The administration has deployed a heavy security apparatus: 1,000 police officers have been stationed outside the hospital, and anti-riot task force has been asked to remain alert.

Local media reports said some Chennai schools would remain closed, while the US consulate in the city said it had suspended services and warned Americans to exercise caution.

Indian health minister JP Nadda said, &quot;We are in constant touch with Apollo and Tamil Nadu Government. They had requested a team of doctors from AIIMS. We have sent a team of specialists from AIIMS, Dr Khilani, Dr Trikha, Dr Narang and Dr Talwar. We hope that doctors from AIIMS and Apollo will be able to help in her recovery. We pray to God that she regains her health.&quot;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Police had to intervene when the Tamil Nadu chief minister's supporters tried to break the barricades deployed outside the hospital

Indian politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram, who enjoys a cult-like following among her supporters, continues to remain on life support. People clashed with each other outside Apollo Hospital, where the 68-year-old politician is being treated at the moment, a day after she suffered a cardiac arrest. Hundreds of policemen had to step in when they tried to break the barricades deployed outside the hospital. The situation was grim in the evening as there were unconfirmed reports flashed by local TV channels about Jayalalithaa's death. Apollo Hospital had to release a statement quickly to placate her supporters, saying that reports of her death was "baseless" and "false". "Our team of expert doctors continue to closely monitor and treat the honourable chief minister. However her condition remains critical," the hospital tweeted on Monday. Our team of expert doctors continue to closely monitor and treat the Honourable Chief Minister. However her condition remains critical. — Apollo Hospitals (@HospitalsApollo) December 5, 2016 × Hundreds of supporters have been camping outside the hospital as they keenly wait to hear a sliver of good news. "Everybody feels that she is our mother and her illness is like our family, our mom has been affected so, we are all here ever since we heard the news. She`s a fighter, she has always been, whatever the odds, she had fought very bravely and she has emerged successfully. This time also she will come (out) successfully," said a supporter. Prayers were also being held across the state for her speedy recovery. There were many more supporters who were seen crying as news updates failed to cheer them up. "Amma should survive. I won't mind if my life is taken away, but Amma should live," one supporter cried. She was hospitalised on September 22 after complaining of fever and dehydration. On Sunday, Jayalalithaa's party AIADMK had told media corps that she had recovered and was undergoing physiotherapy. But hours later, Apollo Hospital said she suffered a cardiac arrest, gripping the entire state with anxiety. The administration has deployed a heavy security apparatus: 1,000 police officers have been stationed outside the hospital, and anti-riot task force has been asked to remain alert. Local media reports said some Chennai schools would remain closed, while the US consulate in the city said it had suspended services and warned Americans to exercise caution. Indian health minister JP Nadda said, "We are in constant touch with Apollo and Tamil Nadu Government. They had requested a team of doctors from AIIMS. We have sent a team of specialists from AIIMS, Dr Khilani, Dr Trikha, Dr Narang and Dr Talwar. We hope that doctors from AIIMS and Apollo will be able to help in her recovery. We pray to God that she regains her health." (WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian politician Jayalalithaa remains on life support as scuffle breaks out

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