: Tamil Nadu’s bureaucracy, regarded in certain quarters as resilient, knows how to adapt itself to the imminent change of guard at Fort St. George, the seat of power of the State government — this is how many officials reacted to V.K. Sasikala’s elevation as the leader of the AIADMK Legislature Party.
For them, Ms. Sasikala is, in a sense, an unknown entity, as they had no need to interact with her when she was former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s confidant. But, they say that the incoming Chief Minister should demonstrate her keenness in conveying the right message — that good governance matters. Besides helping her build a positive image, it would facilitate better use of the bureaucracy, given its potential.
Besides, at a time when the era of personality-driven politics is coming to an end and issue-based politics is gaining currency, the focus on good governance would strike a chord with the masses, they say.
The officials would also like Ms. Sasikala to make herself accessible. In the last two months of O. Panneerselvam’s stint as the Chief Minister, what came to be noticed widely was that he was easily accessible. As the work of administration involves, more often than not, handling routine matters, the presence of the Chief Minister every day for a few hours would make things easier, the officials add.
