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Live: MLAs Vandalise Tamil Nadu Assembly, Attack Speaker As Voting Gets Stalled

The AIADMK saga continues.
Members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party display portraits of VK Sasikala and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram, as they celebrate in front of the governors residence after AIADMK leader Edapadi Palanisamy was called to be sworn in as Chief minister of Tamil Nadu in Chennai on February 16, 2017. / AFP / ARUN SANKAR (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images)
ARUN SANKAR via Getty Images
Members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party display portraits of VK Sasikala and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram, as they celebrate in front of the governors residence after AIADMK leader Edapadi Palanisamy was called to be sworn in as Chief minister of Tamil Nadu in Chennai on February 16, 2017. / AFP / ARUN SANKAR (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

18 February, 1:30 pm: Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker manhandled

The confidence vote in Tamil Nadu took off to a rough start. First, the MLAs ended up squabbling with each other and soon after, they started breaking chairs inside the assembly. This happened after the Speaker rejected a plea to allow voting by secret ballots. The Speaker, shortly after the session started, adjourned the session till 1 pm

When the session resumed, Tamil Nadu assembly speaker P Dhanapal was manhandled by DMK MLAs. According to ANI, the MLAs went on a rampage, tearing official documents, tearing the Speaker's shirt. The Speaker then ordered the assembly police to evict DMK MLAs.

He also adjourned the session till 3pm.

End of updates from 15 February

9:00 pm: No privileges

Media reports suggest that Sasikala will have to eat jail food at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, and she will share her cell with two other inmates.

8:50 pm: O Panneerselvam makes his move

Panneerselvam has reached the Raj Bhavan to meet Governor C.Vidyasagar Rao, ANI reports.

8:17 pm: Palaniswami makes his move

Governor C Vidyasagar Rao meets Edapaddi K Palaniswami, NDTV reports.

7:45 pm: Sasikala in jail

Sasikala requested court to provide A class cell,medical facility and place for meditation, ANI reports

7:30 pm: What next?

Edapaddi K Palaniswami staked claim to form the government on Tuesday. What will Governor C Vidyasagar Rao do now?

7:00 pm: Sasikala sent to jail

Local media reports say that Sasikala has been sent to jail by Bengaluru court.

6:30 pm: Cars damaged in Sasikala's convoy

PTI reports that four cars in Sasikala's convoy damaged in vandalism near central jail.

5:30 pm: NDTV reporting that Sasikala's convoy has pulled up at Bengaluru jail

4:15 pm: AIADMK Organising Secretary Resigns

Karuppasamy Pandian, who was the Organising Secretary of the party, has now resigned over the appointment of Sasikala's nephew as Deputy General Secretary.

Pandian said, according to NDTV, that he could not accept Sasikala's family politics.

The New Indian Express reports that he indicated that he may shift sides and come out in support of O Panneerselvam.

4:07 pm: Police Conducting Inquiry At Golden Bay Resort

After the the FIR against Sasikala, reports say that the police are at the Golden Bay Resort in Kovathur and are conducting one-on-one inquiries with MLAs to get to the bottom of the issue.

The resort has been turned into a fortress with large police forces deployed outside.

ANI reported that SS Saravanan, who had filed the complaint, has said that he had to escape the resort in disguise because he was being held captive.

3:01 pm: Will Governor Call Palanisamy?

NDTV reported sources as saying that Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao was likely to call the Sasikala faction to form government. Reports had earlier said that was likely to announce his decision on forming government today.

2:54 pm: Police Forces Deployed Outside Golden Bay Resort

2:11 pm: FIR Against Sasikala

An FIR has been filed against VK Sasikala and K Palanisamy after an MLA, SS Saravanan complained that he had been abducted and kept in the resort.

Reports suggest that he had scaled the wall to escape the from the resort.

This brings a new twist to the story so far, where MLAs had said that they were at the resort on their own will.

1:53 pm: TN Governor Will Take Decision On Government Formation Today Evening

Amid frenzy over Sasikala's surrender, sources have told NDTV that Vidyasagar Rao, the governor of Tamil Nadu is likely to give his decision on government formation today.

12:43 pm: Sasikala To Be Kept In Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison

Sasilaka is on her way to Bengaluru, and will be kept in the Parappana Agrahara jail. The New Indian Express had reported on Tuesday that Karnataka State Reserve Police and City Armed Reserve personnel had been deployed near the prison.

Jayalalithaa had also spent 21 days in the same prison.

Sasikala is travelling by road to Bengaluru.

12:30 pm: Sasikala Visits MGR Memorial

After paying respects to her mentor J Jayalalithaa, Sasikala headed to the MGR Memorial in Chennai's T-Nagar.

12:12 pm: MLAs At Golden Bay Resort Say They Are Happy With Sasikala's Decisions

NDTV reports that while police vans were seen coming in at the Golden Bay resorts since morning, there were not signs of the MLAs leaving the resort yet.

The channel reported one of the MLAs as saying that they were happy in the resort and would leave as soon as the Tamil Nadu governor took a decision on forming government.

12:00 pm: Sasikala Visists Jayalalithaa Memorial, Supporters Raise Slogans

Sasikala stopped at the Jayalalithaa Memorial on Marina Beach before she left for Bengaluru to surrender. She was seen offering flowers and prayed for a few minutes.

She was seen breaking down as she paid her respects.

This was amid loud slogans of her supporters.

11:55 am: I Am Very Much With Her, Says Sasikala's Husband

Sasikala's husband, M Natarajan, today told NDTV that his wife had his full support, even as she left for Bengaluru.

When asked about the appointment of expelled family members, he said it was a decision made by the party.

11:44 pm: Sasikala Leaves Poes Gardens, To Surrender In Bengaluru

Amid a sea of supporters and media people, VK Sasikala has left her Poes Gardens residence to surrender in Bengaluru.

NDTV reports that she will be stopping at the Jayalalithaa memorial first.

She was seen waving at her supporters as her convoy made its way through the crowded streets.

11:33 am: Sasikala Supporters Gather At Poes Gardens

Supporters of Sasikala were seen gathering near her Chennai home this morning amid tight security as she prepares to leave for Bengaluru to surrender.

11:20 am: Sasikala To Leave For Bengaluru Shortly, To Surrender Today

Sasikala, who has been asked to surrender today, is going to leave for Bengaluru shortly, reports NDTV.

The news channel reported that her lawyer has told the apex court that she will surrender today.

It was on Tuesday that the Supreme Court set aside the Karnataka High Court order and upheld the trial court order convicting Sasikala, Jayalalithaa's long-time aide, in the disproportionate assets case.

Sasikala was sentenced to a four-year jail term and cannot hold a legislative post for the next 10 years.

The conviction proved to be a major set back for Sasikala, who claimed that she wanted to become chief minister of Tamil Nadu to continue Amma's legacy. She saw stiff resistance from acting chief minister O Panneerselvam whom she expelled from the party in a meeting, with MLAs loyal to her, after her conviction.

10:50 am: Supreme Court Asks Sasikala To Surrender Today

The Supreme Court, which had asked her to surrender on Tuesday "immediately" has now refused to give her more time.

It has said that the judgement could not be changed in any manner and she could not be given any more time.

This was refusing her plea seeking more time to surrender.

Sasikala, who was actually expected to surrender yesterday spent the entire day planning with her MLAs on the future course of action after she is sent to prison.

She is likely to leave for Bengaluru soon.

10:00 am: Sasikala Brings Expelled Nephew Back Into Party Folds

AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala, whose bid to sit on the chief minister's chair was cut short by a Supreme Court verdict in the disproportionate assets case, has now brought her nephew TTV Dinakaran back into the party and has given him the post of deputy general secretary.

He was expelled in 2011. This is probably not going to go down well with the Jayalalithaa loyalists in the party.

Read more here.

9:30 am: Tight Security In Poes Gardens

Sasikala, who was stationed at the Golden Bay Resort on Tuesday, is now back to her Poes Gardens residence. While she is likely to surrender today, Chennai police is ensuring that the no unforeseen incident takes place.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.