Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, who is in the national capital, on Monday accepted Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam’s resignation and requested him and his Council of Ministers to continue to function until alternative arrangements are made.
While hectic preparations were on to spruce up the University of Madras’s Centenary Auditorium in Chepauk here for hosting the swearing-in ceremony of AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala as chief minister, there was no clarity on the date when she would assume office.
Raj Bhavan officials said the Governor was not in the State and his tour schedule was not available. The uncertainty meant that Ms. Sasikala may have to wait for his return to stake the claim to form a government.
The AIADMK leader has chosen to have the proposed swearing-in ceremony at the Centenary Auditorium, considered a favourite venue of Jayalalithaa.
Plea in SC
Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court to stay the swearing-in ceremony. The petition, filed by one Senthil Kumar, has made the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and the AIADMK general secretary as respondent parties.
In the writ petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, Mr. Kumar contended that the State would witness riots if Ms. Natarajan, once made Chief Minister, is forced to resign in case the Supreme Court overturns the order of acquittal of the Karnataka High Court in the disproportionate assets (DA) case pending in the apex court.
