AIADMK legislators start leaving resort after 8-day stay

AIADMK MLAs supporting party general secretary V K Sasikala today began leaving the premises of the resort near here where they were staying for the past eight days.

The development comes in the wake of Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao inviting Sasikala loyalist and AIADMK Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami to form the government.

"All the legislators are starting from here," Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai told reporters at the premises of resort, about 80 km from here.

"Dharma has won," he said.

Asked if his party was still worried about MLAs switching to the faction led by O Panneerselvam, he said, all the legislators are united and supporting Palaniswami.

"All the MPs as well are with us," Thambidurai said.

The ruling party legislators started arriving at the resort on February 8, a day after Panneerselvam rebelled against Sasikala.

Panneerselvam and his supporters had alleged that the MLAs were forced to stay there against their will.

Srivaigundam MLA S P Shunmuganathan on February 10 had filed a police complaint, claiming that AIADMK MLAs were illegally confined as per Sasikala's "instructions".

On February 12, police booked a case of abduction and wrongful confinement against Sasikala and Palaniswami following a complaint by Madurai South MLA S S Saravanan.

However, the MLAs, whose opinion was sought in this regard, had said they were staying there on their "own volition.