All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Amma) Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran on Friday said that the two factions of the party were working towards a merger, reported ANI. “Very soon, you will hear the good news,” he said. “It could even be before October 17.” October 17 is the founding anniversary of the AIADMK.

Dinakaran also claimed the AIADMK party office as his own office, and said that nobody can stop him from going there. “I will go to the office tomorrow [Saturday],” he added.

Dinakaran’s comments come three days after the O Panneerselvam faction of the AIADMK had brushed away speculation that the two warring camps would merge and join the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre. “These are just rumours,” V Maitreyan, a member of the Panneerselvam camp, had said. “Nothing is going to happen before the 2019 polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may expand his Cabinet soon, but AIADMK will not be a part of it.” He had added that there was no possibility of a merger between his faction and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami-led faction of the party.

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D Jayakumar had said the talks between both the camps had been taking place continuously. “I hope the merger will happen very soon,” Jayakumar had said.