After VK Sasikala Loyalist Palanisamy, Team Panneerselvam Meets Governor

Edappadi K Palanisamy, elected to head the ruling AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday evening to stake claim to form government in the state, hours after the Supreme Court convicted AIADMK chief VK Sasikala for corruption and confirmed a four-year jail term. A team from the rival O Panneerselvam camp is also meeting the Governor today. The Supreme Court verdict put an end to Ms Sasikala's bid to be Chief Minister - she cannot hold public office or contest elections for 10 years, the period of her jail term plus six years after that. Ordered by the court to surrender immediately, the AIADMK General Secretary is yet do so and is still huddled with over a 100 party legislators at a five-star resort where she has kept them sequestered for a week. Soon after the verdict, she expelled interim Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from the party and presided over the election of Mr Palanisamy, a minister loyal to her.