The Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai was on Friday all set to witness the merger announcement of the two warring factions of AIADMK, headed by E Palaniswamy and O Panneerselvam.
The Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai was on Friday all set to witness the merger announcement of the two warring factions of AIADMK, headed by E Palaniswamy and O Panneerselvam.
Security was beefed up and several MLA and office-bears had started to converge with some even carrying garlands, apparently in anticipation of the arrival of leaders of both camps.
However, after waiting for hours there, reports surfaced that hurdles had come between the merger talks with leaders of both faction failing to come to a conclusion.
After a while, the leaders started to leave the Amma memorial as the expectations for the much-awaited merger announcement faded tonight.
As per party sources, there were some 'ticklish' issues that were to be addressed by both groups, but declined to elaborate further. While the Pannerselvam camp held over four hours of consultations, Palaniswami was closeted with top office- bearers, besides his ministerial colleagues for a long period of time.
The merger talks had come days after sidelined AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran held a well-attended rally at Madurai in which about 20 legislators and six MPs participated.
This was apparently aimed at charting his own journey and conversely seeking to run rough shod over the Palaniswami and Panneerselvam camps.
The rebellion in the ruling AIADMK and factional feud began with a sudden late night meditation by Panneerselvam in February at the burial site of Jayalalithaa at the Marina Beach where he revolted against Sasikala.
The former chief minister had said that he was forced to resign from his post and asserted that only a person desired by people and cadres should succeed him in the government and party.
Panneerselvam was immediately sacked from his top party post of treasurer, marking the birth of a new rebel faction.
Subsequently, Sasikala named Palaniswami as Legislature Party Leader and she herself had to go to Bengaluru to serve a prison sentence following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
Soon, Palaniswami took over as chief minister and his government was ridiculed as a proxy of Sasikala by rebel Panneerselvam, and Opposition parties led by the DMK.
In April, in a political twist, Tamil Nadu Cabinet announced sidelining Sasikala and Dhinakaran and Palaniswami gradually emerged as leader of a faction of about 122 MLAs in the 234 member assembly.
Palaniswami and his Cabinet colleagues took a stand against Dhinakaran in April for the first time after the RK Nagar bypoll was cancelled.
They were also on the same page after Dhinarakan was named in a case of trying to bribe Election Commission officials.
Further hardening the stand against Dhinakaran, an August 10 meeting chaired by Palaniswami said his appointment went against party bye-laws, setting the stage for a formal merger.
Following it up, the government yesterday announced an inquiry into Jayalalithaa's death and declared that Amma's Poes Garden residence will be taken over and turned into a memorial.
By conceding these key demands of the Panneerselvam camp, the process of unification got a fresh impetus and after several rounds of deliberations the merger came through.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "memorial")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}