Latest developments:
» SC declines urgent hearing on a plea seeking to restrain Sasikala from becoming Tamil Nadu CM
» AIADMK chief V.K. Sasikala meets Tamil Nadu governor C. Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan
» Sasikala stakes claim to form government, says her party
» 10 ministers accompanied Sasikala to the Raj Bhavan
» Ahead of the meeting, she visited Jayalalithaa memorial
» Earlier, acting Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam met governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan and submitted a petition explaining the circumstances that led to his resignation.
» Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Panneerselvam said he was hopeful of a positive outcome.
» According to media reports, Panneerselvam's petition says he was forced to resign and that he is willing to withdraw the resignation
» The meeting lasted only for five minutes
» OPS thanked all MLAs for their support
» Governer reached Chennai Thursday evening
Read: TN power play: decoding the game plan, options and probable scenarios
» On Thursday evening, Sasikala had talks with senior leaders at Poes Garden to decide on course of action
» We have letter of support for V.K. Sasikala from 135 MLAs including O. Paneerselvam, we still have that letter, says TN education minister Pandiarajan
» Meanwhile, more AIADMK leaders come out in support of Panneerselvam
» Party's Rajya Sabha MP V. Maitreyan and senior leader Madhusudan speak in support of TN chief minister
» The current political scenario in Tamil Nadu is AIADMK's internal matter, the Center has nothing to do with it, says union home minister Rajnath Singh
» After Kamal Haasan, Arvind Swami starts a twitter campaign urging MLAs to go to court if they have been detained
Chennai: AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala on Thursday staked claim to form the government during a 40-minute meeting with governor C. Vidyasagar Rao, who arrived in the city this afternoon.
Couple of hours after caretaker chief minister O. Panneerselvam visited Rao, Sasikala called on the governor and gave him a letter presumably containing the names of MLAs who elected her as AIADMK legislature party leader, and requested him to invite her to form the government.
However, the Governor's response is not immediately known.
Sasikala arrived at 7.25 pm at the Raj Bhavan and left after a meeting that lasted about 40 minutes.
Earlier, acting Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam held a brief meeting with governor C. Vidyasagar Rao amid the political uncertainty in the state and said that "good things will happen" but did not elaborate.
After the meeting, CM addressed his supporters at his Greenways Road official residence.
"We had a detailed discussion with governor C. Vidyasagar Rao about all that is happening in Tamil Nadu... For sure, good thing will happen, dharma will win," he told reporters at his residence on returning from the Raj Bhavan.
The meeting came two days after Panneerselvam revolted against AIADMK general secretary Sasikala, claiming that he was forced to resign from the chief minister's post.
Accepting Panneerselvam's resignation, the governor had on February 6 asked him to continue till alternative arrangements were made.
Read: Never betrayed AIADMK, will prove my strength in the assembly: Panneerselvam | Latest updates
Dramatic Tuesday for TN politics: how OPS revolt unfolded
I was forced to resign as Tamil Nadu CM: Panneerselvam's stunning revelation
After his revolt, Panneerselvam has maintained he was willing to reconsider his resignation if the people desired.
However, Rao's absence for the next two days from the state raised eyebrows with Sasikala's supporters demanding that she should have been invited to form the next government.
Rao, holding charge of Tamil Nadu in addition to Maharashtra, arrived here from Mumbai late this afternoon and gave appointments to Pannerselvam and Sasikala.
Panneerselvam said he called on Rao along with senior leaders of his camp including, AIADMK presidium chairman E. Madusudanan. He said they have the "blessings" of late chief minister Jayalalithaa.
He quoted a popular Tamil verse of nationalist poet Subramanya Bharathi, the import of which is "though dharma could be eclipsed by intrigue, it will be dharma which will triumph ultimately".
He, however, did not take any questions and merely gestured with folded hands when asked about his discussions with the governor.
Sasikala was elected legislature party leader on February 5, paving the way for her becoming the chief minister.
Subsequently, Panneerselvam raised a banner of revolt on February 7, along with his supporters.
He currently has the support of leaders like former ministers K.P. Munusamy, Natham R. Viswanathan, Rajya Sabha MP V. Maithreyan and a few sitting MLAs.
Against the background of revolt by Panneerselvam, who has the support of a few MLAs, Sasikala has also given individual letters of support furnished by AIADMK legislators.
Panneerselvam, who has repeatedly asserted that he will be able to prove his strength on the floor of the House, has not yet disclosed the number of MLAs supporting him.
Political crisis looms large over Tamil Nadu after O. Panneerselvam dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, saying that he was forced to resign as chief minister to make way for AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala, who waits to be sworn in for the top job.
The Man Friday of late J. Jayalalithaa chose to break his silence on the happenings in the party ever since the death of his mentor on December 5, saying he was being "insulted" by senior ministers and leaders who sought to "undermine" him after electing him the chief minister.
The caretaker CM's shocking revelations and willingness to withdraw resignation has made a smooth transition of power in the state unlikely. In this unexpected situation, the governor is left with the following options:
» Ask Sasikala, who has been elected leader of the legislature party, to be the chief minister and subsequently prove majority
» Ask all leaders staking claims, including Panneerselvam, to prove majority and form the government
» Keep the assembly in suspended animation and call for fresh elections
» If there is a constitutional crisis, the governor can seek president's rule