All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, CR Saraswathi (pictured) of TTV Dinakaran-VK Sasikala faction on Monday expressed unhappiness for being avoided during the merger of the EPS and the OPS factions.


"We are so happy that the OPS faction and EPS faction has been merged, even we wanted that. But we are very sad, don't know why they want to avoid us," Saraswathi told ANI.


She said that from day one Sasikala and TTV Dinakaran wanted the merger of the party and everybody to come together once again and added that now they have been sidelined.


"Chinamma appointed Edapaddi as the Chief Minsiter before going to jail. Billion Dollar question is why they want to avoid us. It's ok, time will answer for everything, people are with us. We believe that every soon they will come to us for the merger," she said.


Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister under the merged AIADMK government in the state.Earlier, in what can be dubbed as a political turnaround in a state that was embroiled in a political drama till not so long ago, the two warring factions of the AIADMK - one led by Chief Minister E Palanisamy (EPS) and the other by OPS - announced a merger, citing that "MGR always wanted to see us united, not split.


"The striking part of the merger is that EPS has taken a backseat in the party, declaring OPS as the convenor of the party. EPS will be the co-convenor.EPS will continue to be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.EPS, while addressing a press briefing, said that there will be 11 people in a committee to co-ordinate in the merger.There was no mention of jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala in the press statement.