Corridors of Power: Political high drama

Social media turns sardonic over Stalin’s resignation and its rejection by his father within a few hours

May 19, 2014 02:10 am | Updated November 16, 2021 06:56 pm IST - Chennai

DMK treasurer >M.K. Stalin resigned from all party posts on Sunday morning and submitted his letter of resignation to his father and party president M. Karunanidhi, owning moral responsibility for the Lok Sabha election poll debacle. For a while, there was no word from the party as most seniors switched off their cell phones, nor did they pick up the calls. After some time, journalists camping near Mr. Stalin’s house were kept in a cramped room and was told that he would address them shortly. It was party senior Durai Murugan who finally spoke to the media and said the resignation was rejected as the party needed Stalin. Soon, the social media networks were full of comments calling the resignation a “drama” and pointing to “another drama” in 2009 when his father observed a “fast” on the Marina that ended within a day at the height of the final Eelam War.

Return of the old

Now that the Lok Sabha elections are over, IAS and IPS officers who were shifted ahead of the polls are keen to return to their old posts. Unlike previous elections, the number of bureaucrats and police officers transferred was not high this time. Still, the urge to return to the original, or a better, post is obvious. For instance, in Erode, the talk in the Collectorate is whether or not the previous Collector V.K. Shanmugam will return. He was transferred to the Tuticorin Corporation as its Commissioner in the run-up to the polls, at the intervention of the Election Commission. With a year left for his retirement, Mr. Shanmugam was hoping for a transfer to Chennai.

Two to tango

Will Anbumani Ramadoss get the health portfolio in the NDA Cabinet? What ministry will be given to Pon. Radhakrishnan? Speculation is rife in both PMK and BJP circles on the portfolios the two could be offered. While Mr. Radhakrishnan, the State BJP president, is virtually assured of a Cabinet berth as the party has to grow in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Ramadoss has gone on record that a decision will be taken by the leadership when there is an offer. Sources close to the PMK’s first family, however, are expecting an offer from Narendra Modi, who will be sworn in as Prime Minister shortly.

Not so long ago, Ramadoss Sr. used to ask reporters to note in a corner of their notebooks that the PMK would never ally itself with the BJP. It was against his wishes that Mr. Anbumani forged an alliance with the BJP that eventually led to the ‘rainbow alliance.’ Now that Mr. Anbumani emerged victorious, his supporters keep their fingers crossed.

Vacant chair

Fifteen years have gone by since the establishment of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission. So far, only two persons — A. Balraj and S. Kabilan — have occupied the post of chairperson for a total of nine years. The Commission, which was headless between 1999 and 2002, has again been without a chairperson for over two years. Though nothing stops the regulatory body from carrying out its ordinary functions, even in the absence of the chairperson, the Commission acquires greater strength when there is a chairperson, a post held in the two previous instances by retired IAS officers. It was for this reason that when Mr. Kabilan laid down office in January 2012 on completion of his term, IAS circles were abuzz with talk of a top officer, then in office, getting the post. But that was not to be. In the past 27 months, nearly 40 IAS officers have retired. The present talk is whether any one of these retired officers or someone outside this group will be chosen.

( Reporting by Sruthisagar Yamunan, R. Krishnamoorthy, V.S. Palaniappan and T. Ramakrishnan )

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