Hours after AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala was convicted and ordered to return to jail to serve the remainder of her four-year term in a disproportionate assets case, party MLAs elected PWD minister Edappadi K Palanisamy as leader of the legislature party in Sasikala’s presence at the resort outside Chennai where they have been holed up for five days. Palanisamy met
Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and staked claim to form the government. Greeting the Governor with a bouquet, Palanisamy, who went to the Raj Bhavan with some senior leaders and ministers, presented a list of MLAs supporting his claim. After Palanisamy left the Raj Bhavan, some AIADMK leaders from the rival camp of caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met the Governor.