Sasikala stakes claim to form government in Tamil Nadu
chennai — The tug of war for power in Tamil Nadu saw AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala on Thursday staking her claim to form the government, while caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam voiced confidence that “justice will win”, though the numbers at present do not stack up in his favour.
On Thursday, the entire political drama was centered at the Raj Bhavan, after Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao arrived in the afternoon from Mumbai. Both Sasikala and Panneerselvam met him, with the former handing the Governor letters of support given by her party legislators.
Sasikala was accompanied by senior ministers for her evening meeting with Rao.
According to AIADMK statement issued late in the night, Sasikala handed over the documents electing her as the leader of the legislature party. But the AIADMK statement was strangely silent on the number of legislators supporting her.
Before going to Raj Bhavan, Sasikala went to J. Jayalalithaa’s memorial at Marina beach and paid homage there.
She also kept a large sized envelope at the memorial as a mark of seeking the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s blessings.
Earlier in the evening, Tamil Nadu’s acting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Rao.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Rao at 5pm. Panneerselvam said: “I met the Governor and briefed him about the happenings in the state.”
“Justice will win,” declared Paneerselvam, who has the support of five legislators as of now
Earlier, in an interview the caretaker chief minister voiced confidence of winning majority. In an
according to us, Panneerselvam was acting wisely for the past two months. He faced challenges like Vardah cyclone, Jallikattu agitation and handled these situations in a proper way Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP’s Tamil Nadu president
interview to a Tamil channel, Panneerselvam declining to reveal the number of legislators who were supporting him but said he would prove his strength on the floor of the house.
He said that party legislators will have the chance to vote as per their conscience and he would be able to prove his majority. In a move to consolidate his power, Panneerselvam on Thursday also said the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa would be converted into a memorial.
He made the comment while welcoming the support of AIADMK’s Presidium Chairman E. Madhusudanan, who had earlier pressed Sasikala to lead the party.
Sasikala, a long-time confidante of Jayalalithaa who died in December, now resides at the house.
Panneerselvam welcomed to his camp Madhusudanan, who said his conscience told him to join hands with Panneerselvam.
In a related development in New Delhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected a notice by the AIADMK on Tamil Nadu Governor Rao asking that the swearing in of Sasikala as chief minister be expedited. —
i met the governor and briefed him about the happenings in the state. Justice will win Panneerselvam