Governor's wait proved prudent in Tamil Nadu

Hyderabad: The decision of Tamil Nadu incharge Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao to wait till the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on V.K. Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case instead of rushing to invite her to form government ultimately proved prudent.

Mr Vidyasagar Rao was accused of delaying the process, but he refused to succumb to pressure and allowed the developments to unfold on their own.

The Governor was in Delhi last week to attend a private function when Mr Panneerselvam submitted his resignation and Sasikala was elected AIADMK Legislature Party leader.

Coincidentally, Supreme Court judge Justice P.C. Ghosh announced that he would deliver the judgement “in a week”.

Mr Rao, who was aware of the precedents leading to the formation of governments, especially in Tamil Nadu, made up his mind to wait for the verdict.

Governor reminded Sasikala of verdict
The Governor was aware how then TN Governor Fatima Beevi, a retired Supreme Court judge, faced the wrath of the apex court and the Centre when she invited J. Jayalalithaa to be Chief Minister when she was facing disqualification on account of her conviction in the TANSI land case.

Mr Rao conveyed to his well-wishers that he was not the full-time Governor for Tamil Nadu; any adverse comment either by the judiciary or the Centre on his decisions would land him in a soup, and he did not want to be discredited like Fatima Beevi. He was aware that as an appointee of the BJP-led NDA government, any decision of his would attract criticism at the national level.

Except former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, who defended Mr Rao’s decision to wait, other legal pundits had demanded he should invite Sasikala regardless of the outcome in the DA case.

He knew that those convicted for an offence for which the sentence is more than two years are barred from contesting elections for six years. Inviting Sasikala to form government, and then searching for another Chief Minister in case she her conviction was upheld, would not be proper. Instead it would be prudent for him to wait for the outcome and then form his opinion.

Mr Rao, the Mahar-ashtra Governor, was given additional charge of Tamil Nadu. After taking charge, he came to know about “various internal happenings” in the AIADMK. When Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital, he was quite aware of the bitter relations between Mr Panneerselvam and Sasikala.

Mr Rao had talked to Sasikala and then chief secretary Rammohan Rao to convince them that Mr Panneerselvam should be given charge.

Sources said, Sasikala wanted to become CM rightaway, but Mr Rao reminded her about the pending verdict. When she met him the Governor said to her that he needed to wait for the verdict.