Merger of AIADMK factions soon: TN minister

Chennai: Senior AIADMK (Amma) leader Tamil Nadu minister K A Sengottaiyan today said the much-anticipated merger of the two factions of the ruling party will happen soon.

“There is a chance of the two factions led by O Panneerselvam and chief minister (K Palaniswami) merging soon. You can expect that soon,” he told reporters here.

Asked if Panneerselvam factions’s demands have been met, the education minister said discussions were going on in that regard and that “it cannot be revealed.”

The Panneerselvam-led Puratchi Thalaivi Amma faction had set as preconditions for talks with the Amma camp –a probe into the death of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, besides removal of jailed AIADMK chief V K Sasikala and her family members from the AIADMK.

Sengottaiyan also denied the BJP “playing a key role” in the merger, saying that the saffron party had only indicated that it wanted continuance of the Amma government following the unification process.

Discussions are on over the merger and a “good decision” will be taken soon, he said.

“The two factions will unite. There need not be any apprehension,” the education minister added.