Senior AIADMK (Amma) leader Tamil Nadu Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan on Augsut 15, 2017 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 (Edappadi K. Palaniswami) merging soon. You can expect that soon,” he told reporters in Chennai.
Asked whether the Panneerselvam factions’s demands have been met, the Tamil Nadu School Education Minister said discussions were going on in that regard and that “it cannot be revealed”.
The AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) faction led by Mr. Panneerselvam had set as preconditions for talks with the AIADMK (Amma) camp — a probe into the death of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, besides removal of jailed AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala and her family members from the party.
Mr. Sengottaiyan also denied that the BJP was “playing a key role” in the merger. 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 he added.