Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai, 9 AIADMK MPs leave for Delhi

Chennai: AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, who has been in the forefront of the pro-Sasikala chorus, along with nine party MPs left for Delhi on Wednesday night amid political turmoil in Tamil Nadu.

They declined to speak to mediapersons at the airport as they left for the national capital where the first phase of the Budget Session, which began on January 31, is set to conclude today.

Mr Thambidurai had yesterday dismissed Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s claim that he was forced to resign from the post and had insisted that AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala would succeed him as all legislators were behind ‘Chinnamma’.

He had said whether it was the coming civic poll or Parliamentary elections, they would win them under her leadership.

On Wednesday, Ms Sasikala had mustered an overwhelming majority of AIADMK MLAs against a rebellious Mr Panneerselvam, who claimed to have their backing, but speculation was rife on what action Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao would take when he arrives in Chennai today from Mumbai after keeping away from this city for three days.

In a show of strength, Ms Sasikala had called a meeting of party MLAs at the AIADMK headquarters and later herded them in buses to an undisclosed destination in a bid to keep them together.