Governor C Vidyasagar Rao To Meet Sasikala, Supporters Today: 10 Developments

Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will meet Ms Sasikala at 2 pm along with the legislators who are backing her.

The lawmakers were bused to a resort where they remained overnight to prevent them from being poached by other parties - or Mr Panneerselvam. On Wednesday evening, he told NDTV that some of the legislators, despite their stated support to Ms Sasikala, are in touch with him.

Mr Panneerselvam, who has been sacked from the post of the party treasurer by Ms Sasikala, has termed it illegal under party rules. He has written to banks, asking them not to allow anyone access to AIADMK funds without his permission, reported news agency Press Trust of India.

The political crisis began on Tuesday night when, after visiting his mentor Ms Jayalalithaa's beach-side memorial, Mr Panneerselvam announced that he was coerced and humiliated into resigning as Chief Minister on Sunday, and that he deserves the opportunity to take a trust vote in the legislature.

So the crisis centres on Mr Panneerselvam, used as a seat-warmer often by Ms Jayalalithaa, refusing to play the same role for Ms Sasikala who was chosen on Sunday by the AIADMK to replace him as Chief Minister.

For decades, Ms Jayalalithaa, referred to as "Amma" or mother by her cadre and lakhs of supporters, was the only power centre of the AIADMK. Ms Sasikala, who was her constant companion, is called "Chinamma" (mother's younger sister).

After Ms Jayalalithaa died while she was Chief Minister in December, Ms Sasikala moved quickly to have Mr Panneerselvam take office. Her intent was to prevent the AIADMK, now bereft of the super-glue hold of Ms Jayalalithaa, from being recruited by other parties or engaging in a contest for leadership.

Governor Rao did not return to Chennai from first Delhi and then Mumbai despite the political confusion, provoking much criticism. On Wednesday, he was filmed at an event he attended in Mumbai stating "On TV in Chennai, when you put it on, you can hear them asking 'where is the Governor?' I am happy to be here in your midst."

AIADMK parliamentarians had threatened to meet with President Pranab Mukherjee to complain about the Governor's no-show as a move designed to benefit Ms Sasikala's political opponents. A group of nine legislators, led by senior leader M Thambidurai, left for Delhi last evening.

Along with the Governor's absence, another problematic development for Ms Sasikala has emerged from the Supreme Court which has said it will rule next week on whether she assisted Ms Jayalalithaa in a corrupt amassing of wealth in the early 90s. Political opponents like the DMK have said that Ms Sasikala should not be made Chief Minister till the verdict is known.