Chennai: There is mixed reaction to the AIADMK deciding on Sunday to anoint its all-powerful general secretary VK Sasikala as the new Chief Minister replacing O. Panneerselvam.
Going ecstatic over her party legislators’ decision, Vijila Sathyananth, AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha member said, “This is what we expected. All of us, especially the women cadres are happy. There is no difference of opinion in electing ‘Chinnaamma’ as our CM.”
Pointing out that whenever former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa could not be at the helm as when she was indisposed since last September and after being convicted in the disproportionate assets case, she chose O. Panneerselvam to head the government, DMK leader M. K. Stalin reminded that Mr. Panneerselvam had been Jayalalithaa’s choice.
However, CPI (M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan greeted Ms. Sasikala on her elevation. “I believe she will factor in people’s opinions on this change,” he said in a statement. Both VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and TNCC chief Su. Thirunavukkarasar, said they construed her election as the AIADMK’s internal affair.
“The AIADMK legislators met and unanimously elected Ms. Sasikala as their legislature party leader. They have a right to decide what is good or bad for the party and accordingly they had elected her without any difference of opinion,” said Mr. Thirumavalavan.
“It is their internal matter. Following the demise of J. Jayalalithaa, they had elected O. Panneerselvam as Chief Minister. Now the AIADMK MLAs want Ms. Sasikala to become CM. I have nothing much to say on this,” said Mr. Thirunavukkarasar.
Alleging that her elevation put the state at “risk” PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss said though the AIADMK legislators’ decision to elect their party leader could not be faulted, the decision to choose someone who is not connected the legislature is unacceptable. “She may have the support of her party MLAs but not the people. Jayalalithaa had appealed to the people to vote her party candidates as though they were electing her from every constituency. By electing Ms. Sasikala the ruling party MLAs have deceived the people who elected them to power,” he said.
Referring to the TANSI verdict in which the Supreme Court had disqualified former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa (in 2001) from holding the post, Dr. Ramadoss expressed that Ms Sasikala could have “bided her time to become Chief Minister.”
OPS resigns; CS meets to-be CM
Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, hours after his party AIADMK elected VK Sasikala as the new leader of the legislature party.
Citing "personal reasons", Mr Panneerselvam sent his resignation letter to Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao, who was in Ooty on Sunday evening. Mrs Sasikala will be sworn-in after she stakes the claim to form the
government by meeting Mr Rao.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan met Ms Sasikala at her Poes Garden residence. However, details of what transpired between the two were not known, while it is understood that the date of swearing-in of the new ministry was discussed.
