Panneerselvam group heads to Golden Bay resort to woo rival camp MLAs

CHENNAI: In an attempt to woo more MLAs to their camp, the MLAs supporting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, left for the Golden Bay resort where a majority of the ruling AIADMK legislators have been lodged.

"We are going there to appeal to MLAs detained in the resort at Koovathur (on East Coast Road near Chennai). Many MLAs have been calling us over phone telling us that they want to join us. About 10 MLAs and 12 MPs from our (Panneerselvam) camp are going there to ensure that they can come out of the resort and join us," Avadi MLA K Pandiarajan told reporters outside the Chief Minsiter O Panneerselvam's residence.

Despite the conviction of Sasikala and her relatives in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case, a majority of MLAs continued to camp in the resort where they have been staying for the past week. Soon after the conviction, the Sasikala camp announced AIADMK's Kongu strongman and senior state minister Edapadi K Palanisamy as the new legislative party leader.


Palanisamy accompanied by senior AIADMK minister K Sengottayan told media outside the Golden Bay resorts about the appointment of the new legislative leader of AIADMK and said that a letter staking claim to the form government under Palanisamy has been sent to the Governor.

C Ponnaiyyan, an MGR loyalist and senior leader, who crossed over to the OPS camp, said the elevation of Edapadi Palanisamy was insignificant. "He is not a strongman in the western belt as portrayed. His only advantage was that he was close to Sasikala and her family, which is also irrelevant now when she is convicted,"