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Updated: Feb 17, 2017 23:23 IST

AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami was sworn in as the chief minister on Thursday, ending a long suspense in the wake of a bitter power struggle in Tamil Nadu’s ruling party. AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, 61, watched on television the oath-taking ceremony of her proxy from the Central on Bengaluru’s southern outskirts where she has been lodged after her conviction in a disproportionate assets case. But peace might still be distant dream for the AIADMK. Palaniswami has to prove his government’s majority in a floor test in a fortnight while his predecessor O Panneerselvam has vowed to continue with his fight.

Sasikala — a long-time confidante of former AIADMK supremo and chief minister J Jayalalithaa — had been anointed as the late leader’s successor by the ruling party and was due to be sworn in last week. But she was pulled into a bruising power struggle by Panneerselvam, who alleged he was forced to resign. Since then, he has been backed by several MPs and MLAs who have switched sides but a majority of the party lawmakers is said to be behind Sasikala, who was sent behind the bars by the Supreme Court in the 21-year-old DA case.

Read | Here is how Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami will impact BJP, Delhi

Follow live updates here:

9:15pm: A day before E Palaniswami has to prove majority in a floor test in Tamil Nadu assembly, Panneerselvam says in an appeal: “Please vote against the trust vote and safeguard the interests of Amma (Jayalalithaa).”: ANI

8.00pm: “Conveyed our stand to leadership and we’re waiting for their direction. But all our 8 MLAs will attend trust vote,” says S Thirunavukkarasar, the Tamil Nadu Congress chief.

7.40pm: The election commission issues a notice to Sasikala to explain her appointment as party general secretary. The Commission was acting on a petition filed by Rajya Sabha MP Dr M Maitreyan and 11 other MPs who asserted that Sasikala’s appointment as interim general secretary was illegal as there is no such provision in the party constitution.

Election Commission of India issues notice to #Sasikala after MPs supporting OPS submitted petition challenging her GS status @htTweets pic.twitter.com/Q0xYVg03IS — Aditya Iyer (@Theadityaiyer) February 17, 2017

7.00pm: Opposition DMK’s working president MK Stalin said his party legislators would vote against the Palaniswami government. The DMK has 89 MLAs.

3.30pm: Minister KA Sengottayan appointed floor leader of Tamil Nadu Assembly, says AIADMK

2.40pm: Team Panneerselvam meet Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, urge him to have secret ballot for confidence vote.

Read | Panneerselvam camp ‘dismisses’ general secy Sasikala, Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami from AIADMK

12.29pm: Panneerselvam loyalist E Madhusudanan, who was AIADMK’s presidium chairman before being removed by Sasikala, also removes her relatives TTV Dinakaran and S Venkatesh from their party posts

12.28pm: Panneerselavm camp removes VK Sasikala as party general secretary

10:30am: Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami tells ANI that he had no plans to visit Bengaluru, contradicting earlier reports. Instead, he will go to the Kuvathur resort where AIADMK MLAs have been camping.

10:15am:

DMK legislative party meet convened for evening to discuss strategy on floor test. — K V Lakshmana (@kvlakshman) February 17, 2017

10:10am: Panneerselvam to bank on perceived anger against the new CM. OPS, believed to a popular CM during his tenure, will go on a state-wide tour soon.

10am: Tamil Nadu chief minister Palaniswami is likely to visit Bengaluru and call on Sasikala in prison.

And here’s what happened on Thursday:

* Palaniswami retained almost all the ministers in the Panneerselvam government, barring the ousted chief minister as well as education minister MF Pandiarajan who have rebelled against Sasikala.

* Governor C Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office to the chief minister and his 30-member council at a function in which Sasikala’s family members took the front row, leaving no room for guesswork as to where the party leaders draw their strength from.

* The governor invited Palaniswami to form the government after he presented a list of 124 AIADMK lawmakers supporting him. The new chief minister will have to take a floor test in the assembly in a fortnight to prove that he enjoys support of the majority of legislators. The AIADMK posted on its Twitter handle that the trust vote will be held on Saturday.

* Until then the MLAs would remain at Golden Bay resort at Kuvathur, 80km from Chennai, where they have been staying since Sasikala corralled them there last Wednesday night to stop them from switching loyalties.

Read | Here’s how 10 pro-Panneerselvam MPs may still retain their Parliament seats

(With agency inputs)