The AIADMK faction headed by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today demanded that VK Sasikala's portraits be removed from the party headquarters in Chennai.

Amid hectic parleys over a possible re-merger between the two warring AIADMK factions, the O Panneerselvam camp appears to be in mood to relent on its demands put forward as a precondition for talks with the E Palaniswamy faction.

Delhi Police on Wednesday night served Dinakaran summons at his Chennai residence over his alleged attempt to bribe Election Commission officials in a case related to the party's frozen poll symbol.

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D. Jayakumar on Tuesday night announced that AIADMK ministers had decided to keep Sasikala, Dinakaran and their family members out of the party.

When asked about last night’s revolt, Dinakaran replied: “Revolt against me could have been due to some fears.”

The development indicates that Dinakaran, also the deputy general secretary of AIADMK and a non-resident Indian, may be arrested soon.

The AIADMK on Tuesday announced that its General Secretary V K Sasikala and her family including nephew and deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran will be kept away from the party affairs as well as from the Tamil Nadu government.

Former Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam has now said that he was ready to unite the AIADMK provided the ‘family of Sasikala is kept out of the party’.

According to party sources, an MLA from Sasikala camp, who was on board the INS Chennai, said there are likely to be formal meetings on the matter later today.

It is said that the focus of yesterday’s meeting was to discuss the possible resignation of Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran and chalk out a strategy for a merger to put an end to the political crisis.

The reaction comes soon after the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch registered a case against Dinakaran in connection with a case of attempting to bribe the Election Commission of India (EC) for the party's symbol ahead of RK Nagar assembly bypolls.

Police said that officials have also seized at least Rs 1.3 crore from Dinakaran’s possession which he was planning to use to bribe Election Commission officials.

News agency ANI reported that the simultaneous raids are going across 25 locations including Pudukkottai and Trichy along with his house at Greenways road.

Lodged inside the Bengaluru prison, Sasikala has met 28 visitors on 14 occasions in 31 days in the central prison, in defiance of all rules prescribed under law.

The bypoll to RK Nagar assembly constituency is scheduled on April 12. The seat fell vacant after the former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death on December 5.

While the EC has handed the O Panneerselvam camp the ‘electrcity pole’ symbol, Sasikala has been allotted the ‘hat’ for RK Nagar bypoll.

In a major setback to both the parties the Sasikala and O Panneerselvam factions of the AIADMK, the Election Commission on Wednesday has ordered their party symbol to be frozen. Both the factions want to

Both the factions want to contest the April 12 RK Nagar assembly bypoll on the AIADMK symbol and have fielded their respective candidates. March 23 is the last date of filing nominations for the byelection.

VK Sasikala has nominated her nephew TTV Dinakaran as the AIADMK’s candidate from the RK Nagar previously held by Amma.