Palanisami floor test on Sat.
Edapadi K. Palanaisami, handpicked by AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala for the top job, was on Thursday swornin as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, replacing caretaker CM, O. Panneerselvam.
The western Tamil Nadu strongman now heads a 30-member Cabinet, thus bringing to an end the 11-day long political crisis. His government has decided to take the floor test in the Assembly on Saturday.
Mr. Palanisami, clearly on the advice of Sasikala, brought old-timer and party’s newly-appointed presidium chairman K.Sengo-taiyyan as the school education and sports minister in place of ‘MaFoi’ K. Pandiarajan, who shifted his loyalty to the Panneerselvam camp.
Besides induction of Mr Sengottaiyan, the new ministry did not have any major changes with the other 29 ministers finding place in the Cabinet with their portfolios intact.
Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Palanisami and 30 of his cabinet colleagues in a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan at 4.30 pm. The Governor decided to invite Mr. Palanisami after he arrived at the conclusion that Mr Panneerselvam did not command a majority in the legislature party.
The new pecking order in AIADMK modified after the split fuelled by Mr Panneerselvam’s rebellion against Sasikala was visible all over the simple swearing-in ceremony and events thereafter. T.T.V. Dinakaran, the new deputy general secretary of AIADMK and nephew of Sasikala, was seated in the front row and he accompanied Mr Palanisami and his cabinet members to the memorials of MG Ramachandran and J.Jayalalithaa.
Mr Sengottaiyan, who was sidelined during late Jayalalithaa’s regime, has emerged as one of the top leaders of AIADMK after Sasikala took over the party reins.
THE SPEAKER has convened the session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly at 11 am on Saturday for the trust vote. Palanisami has submitted a list of 124 MLAs supporting him.
Tamil Nadu has a 234-member legislative Assembly.