O Panneerselvam predicts snap Assembly poll

This has assumed importance given the fact that Palanisamy with 122 MLAs is firmly in the saddle having established his majority in the contentious confidence move some months ago. In fact, talking to DTNext, Rajya Sabha MP Maitreyan demanded to know whether the present political dispensation would be able to complete another two months in office.

“There is practically no governance in TN now. Police have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court about a case against Food Minister R Kamaraj under sections 420 and 506 of the IPC, while residences and offices of Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar were raided. They have lost credibility and now everyone is waiting to see who will fall next. People want early Assembly elections,” he added. 

Referring to Finance Minister D Jayakumar ridiculing OPS statement about early polls and stating that Jayalalithaa’s rule will continue till 2021, he said, “We do not dispute it. Amma’s rule will continue even beyond 2021, but whether Jayakumar and his colleagues will be a part of it is the question.” 

On the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol, he said, “The Election Commission cannot decide on this till the court first completes its work in the Dinakaran–EC attempted bribery case. Still sticking to Sasikala and Dinakaran only makes that faction weak,” he noted.