Dinakaran faction MLAs ferried to resort in Puducherry

The 19 AIADMK legislators belonging to the faction led by jailed party General Secretary V.K. Sasikala's nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran were on Tuesday ferried to a resort in Puducherry to safeguard them from switching their loyalty, after they withdrew support to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.

On Tuesday morning, the legislators belonging to the Dinakaran faction met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a letter expressing their decision to withdraw support to Palaniswami.

In order to safeguard them from switching loyalty, the legislators were taken to The Windflower Resorts and Spa in Puducherry.

According to sources, 20 rooms have been booked in the resort and a couple of legislators have already checked in.

This is the second time the Sasikala-Dinakaran faction is resorting to 'resort politics.'

Earlier this year, after O. Panneerselvam broke away from the AIADMK, the Sasikala-Dinakaran group housed the party legislators numbering over 120 in a resort in Kuvathoor near here for several days.

The legislators were asked to stay there so that they do not switch to the Panneerselvam camp then.

Only after Palaniswami won the trust vote in the assembly, the AIADMK legislators were allowed to go ome.

On Monday, the two major AIADMK factions finally came together with Palaniswami continuing to head the government while Panneerselvam -- who has been Chief Minister thrice -- becoming the Deputy Chief Minister and also the numero uno in the united AIADMK.

--IANS

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