Sasikala to be Tamil Nadu’s third woman Chief Minister

Sasikala is likely to be sworn in chief minister in the next few days and discussions are on with Raj Bhavan officials regarding the same. The decision to replace incumbent O Panneerselvam was taken unanimously by the legislators at the party’s headquarters early on Sunday afternoon. 

Significantly, it was Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who had proposed Sasikala’s name, which was dutifully seconded by the MLAs, at the meeting which was preceded by a two-and-a-half-hour discussion at Poes Garden in which the incumbent and his ministers were understood to have ‘invited’ their “Chinnamma” (Sasikala is fondly called so by her cadre) to head the government. 

“It was O Panneerselvam who first insisted that I become the Chief Minister,” Sasikala told waiting legislators in humble acknowledgement of the decision taken moments before her arrival. The election and Panneerselvam’s proposing act has also halted rumour mills that spun overtime during the last month over the reported rift between OPS and the new leadership. 

“Following the demise of our honourable Amma, it was O Panneerselvam who urged me first to take charge as the GS of AIADMK — Chinnamma,” said the official AIADMK twitter handle, which gave real time updates on the significant meeting, even posting Sasikala’s arrival at the party office after the election, proposal by OPS, seconding by MLAs and ultimate election and the brief acceptance speech by the woman of the moment. 

Once sworn in, Sasikala would enter history books as the third woman chief minister of the state after her ‘sister’ Jayalalithaa and Janaki Ramachandran before that. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister O Pannerselvam tendered his resignation to Governor Vidyasagar Rao. The CM also requested that the council of ministers appointed by him be relieved by Monday (February 6).

Reacting to VK Sasikala’s elevation as the legislative head of AIADMK party on Sunday, DMK’s working president MK Stalin claimed that the proceedings were against the interest of the people who voted them to form the government and their late leader J Jayalalithaa. “At the same time, DMK will approach it democratically,” he said.

Stalin said that the people voted for AIADMK to form a government and DMK to be a responsible Opposition party which is evident through the just 1.1 per cent vote difference between the two parties. “People wanted Jayalalithaa to rule but the present situation is against the interest of the people who voted,” Stalin said. 

Pointing out that Jayalalithaa had opted for O Panneerselvam as Chief Minister when she went to prison for allegedly amassing wealth and during the time she was hospitalised, Stalin stressed that in any case Jayalalithaa had not given any responsibility or party posting to Sasikala. Meanwhile, VCK head Thol Thirumavalavan said that there was no ground to oppose Sasikala’s elevation as Chief Minister and wished her to continue her successful political career.  

Similarly, G Ramakrishnan, state secretary, CPM, said, “The CPM is welcoming the move and newly elected CM will strive hard for welfare of the people. However, PMK has termed Sasikala’s elevation day as a ‘black day’ in the democratic history.

Amid speculation of dissolution of the state Cabinet on Monday, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao left for New Delhi by an evening flight, cutting short his visit to nearby Udhagamandalam. After attending a function here on Sunday, Rao left for Udhagamandalam in the afternoon and returned to Coimbatore. As per the schedule, he was to stay in Ooty for two days and attend the convocation of Bharathiar University here on February 7. However, the developments in the ruling AIADMK reportedly made Rao to consider returning to Chennai, but later it was confirmed that he left for New Delhi. Official sources, however, said that Rao was going to Delhi to attend a function in Union Minister Prakash Javadekar’s family.