DMK leader M K Stalin leads a protest on Rajaji Salai after being evicted from the assembly on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: The divisions within the ruling AIADMK were clearly visible in the Tamil Nadu assembly when it reconvened on Wednesday. While in the previous sessions, the 12 MLAs supporting former chief minister O Panneerselvam functioned as a group, this session, MLAs supporting AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran grouped together, maintaining a distance from MLAs supporting the Edappadi K Palaniswami government.

Hardcore supporters of Dhinakaran like Perambur MLA P Vetrivel, Aravakurichi MLA Senthil Balaji, Perundurai MLA Thoppu Venkatachalam and a few others stuck together.

OPS group MLAs calmly walked out of the house after DMK MLAs were evicted and returned to the house towards the close of the session.

Vetrivel and Senthil Balaji were seen teaming up and going out of the assembly frequently and returning. Similarly, the three AIADMK allies, actor Karunaas, U Thaniyarasu and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi leader Thamimum Ansari were seen huddled together and occasionally chatting with Senthil Balaji and Vetrivel.

“The division in the ruling party is clearly visible within the house. Dhinakaran supporters keep to themselves and don't even acknowledge the MLAs supporting the government,“ said a MLA, seeking anonymity.

Venkatachalam was absent for the entire morning session and came into the house only after eviction of DMK MLAs and was seen in teracting only with Dhinakaran supporters.

When Senthil Balaji was chatting with Thaniyarasu, transport minister M R Vijayabaskar, talking to another minister next to him, was seen pointing to the former minister, his rival in Karur district.

Senthil Balaji and Vijayabaskar had a running battle over the venue for the Karur medical college.

Panneerselvam and his MLAs were present at the start of the session. Arriving a few minutes before 10am, Panneerselvam sat in his seat in the second row in the treasury benches. As the seat next to him remained vacant, OPS watched the proceedings quietly. Some of the MLAs in the OPS camp like Srivaikuntam MLA S P Shanmuganathan were absent.

OPS camp MLAs silently watched the DMK dharna inside the house. After the eviction of DMK MLAs and walk out by Congress and IUML members, the OPS group MLAs too walked out of the house, leaving behind only the EPS faction members. Attendance was thin when ruling party members spoke one after another on the debate for demand for grants for the various departments.

AIADMK MLAs, who used to heap praise on V K Sasikala and Dhinakaran, restricted their words of appreciation for former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and chief minister K Palaniswami.

