Amid mounting pressure from the rebel group led by AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran and the Opposition parties for conducting a floor test in the House to prove the majority, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has planned to meet his party legislators in an apparent bid to keep the MLAs intact.
As a first step, Palaniswami met MLAs representing seven districts, including Trichy, Villupuram and Pudukkottai, on Thursday.
Ruling AIADMK sources told DH that the chief minister has asked the legislators to stay united and advised various strategies to counter the Dhinakaran-led rebel camp, which has the support of more than 20 MLAs.
Further, a senior AIADMK leader said all the MLAs were asked to give a letter, stating support to Palaniswami. "This would largely prevent the legislators from jumping to the other camp," he said.
He said senior AIADMK leaders were also discussing the option of keeping the Assembly in suspended animation where the House cannot be prorogued by the governor for the meeting.
Sources said that Palaniswami would be meeting the party MLAs in batches on Friday and Saturday.
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