Wait for new CM continues in TN

The wait continues in Tamil Nadu.

With the ruling AIADMK split in two between Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and party general secretary VK Sasikala, who has laid claim to becoming the chief minister, it is now up to Governor Vidyasagar Rao to decide on the issue.

Both camps which represented their cases to the Governor on Thursday await word from the Raj Bhavan.

Meanwhile, the rival factions continued to take potshots at each other. A significant casualty today was E Madhusudhanan, AIADMK presidium chairman, who shifted camp to Panneerselvam’s side yesterday, and was expelled from the basic membership of the party by Sasikala and stripped of his post, which is second only to the general secretary in the party.

Madhusudhanan questioned Sasikala’s election as the party’s general secretary, as she does not have the basic qualification. He wrote to the Election Commission not to recognise her election.

The AIADMK leader also told media persons that party cadres will soon elect a general secretary in line with procedures laid down in the party by-laws.

Meanwhile, Sasikala appointed KA Sengottaiyan, a senior leader in the party, as the presidium chairman. Later in the evening, Opposition leader and DMK working president MK Stalin met the Governor.

He told media persons that he had represented that the State government had been “incapacitated” for over nine months now since the Assembly elections and the hospitalisation and death of the former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa, followed by the infighting in the party.

A decision on the issue is needed to restore a functioning government, he added. Television channels, social media and the press have had a field day since last Sunday, when Sasikala staged a coup by getting herself elected as the AIADMK legislature party leader in a bid to take over as chief minister.

OPS, as Panneerselvam is called, submitted his resignation but a couple of days later wrested back the initiative, stating that he had been coerced into submitting his resignation and would withdraw it.

The Governor had accepted his resignation last Sunday and OPS continues as caretaker Chief Minister.

Speculations continue on the reasons for the Governor taking his time to come out with a decision.

The prevalent perception is that with the Supreme Court decision on a corruption case against Sasikala imminent, a decision is likely after the apex court comes out with its verdict.

Meanwhile, most of the AIADMK MLAs who had supported Sasikala are guests at a beach resort on the East Coast Road to the south of Chennai.

They are to be paraded before the Governor, or even President, if needed, to exhibit the support she enjoys.

OPS’s team claims they are being held hostage and should be allowed free to be able to choose sides. Police complaints and habeaus corpus petitions are being filed over the “missing MLA”.

As the issue gets prolonged, hundreds of party cadres throng OPS’s official residence, pledging their support but Sasikala occupies the high ground with the support of the MLAs on paper.