Chennai, Aug. 17 (Agencies): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Thursday announced a formal inquiry into the December 5, 2016, death of the state’s iconic leader J. Jayalalithaa.

Palaniswami also announced that Poes Garden residence here of Jayalalithaa, who had served as chief minister five times, would be turned into a memorial that will be run by the government.

The announcements are expected to clear the way for a merger of the two factions of the ruling All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that emerged after Jayalalithaa’s death.

Former chief minister O. Panneerselvam's AIADMK faction has been pressing for an inquiry into her death, and the expulsion of her former aide V.K. Sasikala.

Jayalalitha, then chief minister and chief of the AIADMK, died at the age of 68 of cardiac arrest after being in hospital for 75 days.

Following her death, Pannerselvam, a loyalist who was then the finance minister, was sworn in as Chief Minister, but was soon ousted by Sasikala, who had been Jayalalithaa’s confidante. Sasikala, who had become interim chief of the AIADMK, was later sent to jail in a corruption case, and had tried to run the party and the government via proxies.

Pannerselvam has also sought the formal expulsion of Sasikala’s nephew, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who is now deputy general secretary of the party.

Palaniswami, flanked by finance minister D. Jayakumar, forest minister Dindigul C. Srinivasan and power minister P. Thangamani, told reporters that the Commission of Inquiry would be headed by a retired judge of the Madras High Court.

He said the name of the judge will be announced later.