Delay in my swearing-in to split party, will launch protest tomorrow: Sasikala

Chennai: Amid desertions by some key leaders, AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala on Saturday held discussions with party MLAs supporting her at a resort near Chennai.

Disappointed with the delay in her swearing-in ceremony as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, Sasikala said her party will launch a ‘different’ kind of protest from Sunday.

“We were patient until now, tomorrow we will protest,” Sasikala told the media after her meeting with the MLAs. She said that the delay in her swearing-in was intended to cause a split in her party.

“Delaying tactics is an attempt to create divisions in the party. We will take necessary steps,” she said.

In the hour-long meeting, she held discussions on the "next course of action", party-backed Jaya Plus TV Channel said.

Sasikala's meeting with the MLAs came hours after she shot off a letter to Governor Vidyasagar Rao seeking appointment by today to meet him along with the legislators supporting her for government formation.

Sasikala's meeting with her supporting MLAs came even as two Lok Sabha MPs and the AIADMK spokesperson left her camp to join Panneerselvam's side.

Last week, she had been elected AIADMK Legislature Party Leader, the first step towards becoming the Chief Minister, but was halted in her path by incumbent O Panneerselvam who raised a banner of revolt alleging he was forced to step down for her.

Sasikala had met the Governor on Thursday and staked claim to form government, but Rao, who also heard Panneerselvam, is yet to take a call.