16:17 Summary:
15:36 The MLAs moved out of Chennai have been taken to Pondicherry and have been booked in the Aruna Inn and Le Pondy hotels. Bookings have been made for 15 MLAs.
15:28 According to an Indian Express report, 10 more MLAs are now likely to side with TTV Dinakaran, possibly bringing down AIADMK's count even further. The party, which currently has only 114 MLAs on its side, needs 117 to prove majority in the Assembly, and these defections are bound to make the job even harder.
15:09 Ever since the death of former CM J Jayalalithaa in December last year, the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly has been a member short. Excluding the Speaker and Jayalaltihaa, there are now 134 members of AIADMK in the Assembly. These include 104 MLAs loyal to Palaniswami, 10 MLAs loyal to Panneerselvam and 20 MLAs loyal to Dinakaran. Without Dinakaran's MLAs, the party will not have the requisite 117 MLAs to prove its majority in the Assembly.
14:47 The decision to move these MLAs out of Chennai comes after DMK working president MK Stalin demanded a floor test earlier today, having learnt that a number of MLAs have withdrawn support to the CM.
14:44 Now, 16 of the MLAs supporting Dinakaran are being moved out of Chennai, most probably to a resort, in order to prevent them from defecting to the other side.
14:42 As foreseen yesterday, 19 MLAs close to TTV Dinakaran told Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao earlier today that they don’t support the EPS government.
22:55
TamilNadu cabinet #AIADMKMerger pic.twitter.com/n9VMrVmcpm— O Panneerselvam (@OfficeOfOPS) August 21, 2017
22:51 According to media reports, number of MLAs close to TTV Dinakaran are likely yo call on Tamil Nadu Governor on Tuesday morning.
Earlier in the evening, 18 MLAs supporting Dinakaran meditated at J Jayalalithaa’s memorial.
18:52 The two factions of Tamil Nadu's ruling party merged today after six months of fighting. Here's a quick look at all that has happened so far. Read here.
18:02 Here's all you need to know about Tamil Nadu's go-to stopgap chief minister O Panneerselvam, who is now the deputy CM. Read here.
17:39 Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured "all possible support" to the CM Palaniswami and Deputy CM Panneerselvam for the "growth of Tamil Nadu".
I congratulate Thiru O Panneerselvam & others who took oath today. I hope Tamil Nadu scales newer heights of progress in the years to come.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2017
Centre assures all possible support to CM Thiru Edappadi K. Palaniswami & Dy CM Thiru O Panneerselvam for the growth of TN. @OfficeOfOPS— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2017
17:25 According to media report, V Pugalendi who belongs to the TTV Dinakaran-led faction has called the merger an "act of making fool of the people and the party cadre."
He further said that the current Tamil Nadu government is the "most corrupt."
17:20 Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar told ANI earlier, "Bad time begins for TTV Dinakaran. Whoever thinks bad for Amma's govt will be ousted."
17:04
#WATCH CM E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam shake hands after latter's oath-taking ceremony at Raj Bhawan. #AIADMKMerger #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/DsA9lA44Ct— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2017
16:52
#BREAKING -- O Panneerselvam sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/CIv4ri9xq5— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 21, 2017
16:50 Ma Foi K Pandiarajan, who is close to Panneerselvam, has also been sworn in as the cultural minister of Tamil Nadu.
16:45 O Panneerselvam has been sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Panneerselvam has been given important portfolios including finance, urban development and housing among others.
16:43 Panneerselvam and CM Palaniswami has reached the Raj Bhavan for the swearing-in.
The oath will be observed by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao.
16:40 Here's the venue for the swearing-in ceremony.
All set for swearing in #AIADMKMerger
PC : @kartiadmk pic.twitter.com/ajGeehlUu8— Suchi Soundlover (@suchiseetharam) August 21, 2017
16:30 The swearing-in ceremony is expected to start any moment now.
Sealed with a handshake: Factions of Tamil Nadu's AIADMK announce merger. Read more here.
16:24 Ma Foi K Pandiarajan, who is close to Panneerselvam will be given the Tamil Language and Tamil Culture. He had earlier served as the state's education minister.
Can't help but feel @mafoikprajan — Amma's voice & ex-TN Education Min — appointed Tamil Culture Minister is a disappointment, #AIADMKMerger— Jude Sannith (@JudeSannith24) August 21, 2017
16:15 Panneerselvam and CM Palaniswami along with other AIADMK leaders at the 'Amma Memorial'.
Chennai: CM E.Palaniswami & O.Panneerselvam pay tributes to former CM Jayalalithaa at her Marina Beach memorial #AIADMKMerger pic.twitter.com/IBHtNFbrOs— News18 Gujarati (@News18Guj) August 21, 2017
16:10 The two leaders are now on their way to the Raj Bhavan where the swearing-in is scheduled to happen shortly.
Panneerselvam will be given important portfolios including finance, urban development and housing among others.
16:08 TTV Dinakaran-led faction's CR Saraswathi has hit back. She has questioned as to how Sasikala can be expelled from the AIADMK.
"We want everyone to be together. We are happy (that the merger has happened). The people are with us, cadre is with us" she says.
16:02 According to reports in the media, Sasikala is likely to be expelled from the party. However, there has been no official confirmation.
15:58 Both leaders are now paying respects at the 'Amma memorial'. They will soon head to the Raj Bhavan for Pannerselvam's swearing-in ceremony.
15:57 CM Palaniswami has reached the memorial.
Chennai: CM E.Palaniswami arrives at Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina Beach to pay tributes post #AIADMKMerger pic.twitter.com/93CR28Xfhn— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2017
15:50 Both, CM Palaniswami and Panneerselvam are now on their way to the memorial of J Jayalalithaa at the Marina Beach in Chennai.
Remember, Pannerselvam had started his rebellion from the same memorial. VK Sasikala had also visited the memorial before going to jail to serve her sentence.
15:45 The Raj Bhavan has confirmed that Panneerselvam will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and will be given important portfolios including finance, urban development and housing among others.
Pannerselvam and Ma Foi K Pandiarajan will be sworn-into the cabinet at the Raj Bhavan later on Monday.
15:35 It was also announce that Panneerselvam will become the convener of the party and will head a 11 member committee that will monitor day-to-day functions of the party while Palaniswami will become the co-convener of the party.
Palaniswami said that their priority will be to retrieve the 'two leaves' election symbol which had been frozen by the Election Commission.
15:30 The two warring factions of Tamil Nadu's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) jointly announced a merger in Chennai on Monday.
The announcement was made by the leaders of the two factions, O Panneerselvam and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, at the AIADMK party headquarters.
A list of phone numbers belonging to the MLAs supporting TTV Dinakaran has been doing the rounds on Twitter for the last hour or so. The idea behind it is that people will call up these numbers and urge the MLAs to get back to work. The authenticity of the numbers on the list has not been verified.
The MLAs moved out of Chennai have been taken to Pondicherry and have been booked in the Aruna Inn and Le Pondy hotels. Bookings have been made for 15 MLAs.
According to an Indian Express report, 10 more MLAs are now likely to side with TTV Dinakaran, possibly bringing down AIADMK's count even further. The party, which currently has only 114 MLAs on its side, needs 117 to prove majority in the Assembly, and these defections are bound to make the job even harder.
Ever since the death of former CM J Jayalalithaa in December last year, the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly has been a member short. Excluding the Speaker and Jayalaltihaa, there are now 134 members of AIADMK in the Assembly. These include 104 MLAs loyal to Palaniswami, 10 MLAs loyal to Panneerselvam and 20 MLAs loyal to Dinakaran. Without Dinakaran's MLAs, the party will not have the requisite 117 MLAs to prove its majority in the Assembly.
The decision to move these MLAs out of Chennai comes after DMK working president MK Stalin demanded a floor test earlier today, having learnt that a number of MLAs have withdrawn support to the CM.
Now, 16 of the MLAs supporting Dinakaran are being moved out of Chennai, most probably to a resort, in order to prevent them from defecting to the other side.
* The two warring factions of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announced their merger.
* Tamil Nadu's ruling party had split two months after the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
* O Panneerselvam was sworn in asthe deputy chief minister.
* No announcement was made regarding VK Sasikala.
* Media reports suggest that Sasikala will be expelled from the party.
* TTV Dinakaran-led faction has questioned the possible expulsion of Sasikala.
As foreseen yesterday, 19 MLAs close to TTV Dinakaran told Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao earlier today that they don’t support the EPS government.
According to media reports, number of MLAs close to TTV Dinakaran are likely to call onTamil NaduGovernor on Tuesday morning.
Earlier in the evening,18 MLAs supporting Dinakaran meditated at J Jayalalithaa’s memorial.
The two factions of Tamil Nadu's ruling party merged todayafter six months of fighting. Here's a quick look at all that has happened so far. Readhere.
Here's all you need to know about Tamil Nadu's go-to stopgap chief minister O Panneerselvam, who is now the deputy CM. Readhere.
According to media report, V Pugalendi who belongs to the TTV Dinakaran-led faction has calledthe mergeran "actof making fool of the people and the party cadre."
He further said thatthe currentTamil Nadu government is the "most corrupt."
Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar told ANI earlier, "Bad time begins for TTV Dinakaran. Whoever thinks bad for Amma's govt will be ousted."
