OPS, EPS to come together to remove Sasikala clan from AIADMK?

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam without VK Sasikala family is being planned by influential leaders in the party, sources say.

Several leaders within the ruling dispensation - including a handful of ministers and MLAs - are reportedly talking about a patch-up between O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami.

It had come on the back of tension that has been brewing between Dinakaran and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami over the continuation of Health Minister C Vijayabaskar in the cabinet.

Vijayabaskar's residence and 34 other properties, most of them related to him, had been raided by the Income Tax department in different parts of Tamil Nadu on last week.

Also, the Election Commission (EC) had frozen the AIADMK's two leaves symbol and had not allowed Dhinakaran or OPS faction's E Madhusudhanan to use the AIADMK's name or symbol in the RK Nagar by-poll.

Many in the AIADMK  feel that the recent income tax raids and the documents linked to RK Nagar by-election (in which Dinakaran contested) seized during the searches have brought big shame to the AIADMK. Sensing the mood of the public and party cadres, they want Sasikala family to stay away, reports said.

A group of ministers, cut up with the goings on in the government where nothing happens without Dhinakaran's nod, skipped the election campaign half way through and held a covert high-tea meeting to discuss the way forward, a source was quoted as saying.