Former AIADMK Minister K.P. Munusamy on Monday slammed V.K. Sasikala for making a “backdoor entry” to the Chief Minister’s post and questioned why O. Panneerselvam made way for her despite being the “preferred choice” of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Mr. Munusamy, a critic of the AIADMK legislature leader, asked what political sacrifice she had made or what political history she had to become Chief Minister of the State.
“Without doing any political sacrifice, without having any political history, within 60 days of Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) death, she has made a backdoor entry,” he said, referring to the AIADMK chief’s election as its Legislative Party leader on Sunday.
He also asked what was the ‘compulsion’ for Mr. Panneerselvam to make way for her.
“He had been appointed twice as Chief Minister by Amma. Why did he compromise that for Sasikala. What was the compulsion,” he said.
Mr. Panneerselvam was the stopgap Chief Minister twice — first time when Jayalalithaa was unseated following a Supreme Court order in 2001 and when she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case in 2014.
Mr. Munusamy said Mr. Panneerselvam was not a mere individual but a Chief Minister chosen by Jayalalithaa “who lives in the hearts of lakhs of people” he said.
“How could you (Panneerselvam) pawn it to them?” (Sasikala family), he asked.
