Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and four of his Ministers — Forest Minister ‘Dindigul’ C. Sreenivasan, Public Works Minister ‘Edappadi’ K. Palaniswami, Electricity Minister P. Thangamani and Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani — were closeted with V.N. Sasikala at former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence for nearly two hours on Thursday. Of them, Mr. Panneerselvam and Mr. Palaniswami were part of Jayalalithaa’s four-member inner circle in the last five years.
A few other Ministers also met Ms. Sasikala on Thursday, who as of now does not hold any senior post in the AIADMK except being a member of its executive committee.
Asked why they met Ms. Sasikala at the risk of being seen as confabulating with an extra-constitutional authority, a Minister said: “This [Poes Garden] is a common place. If we meet in another place it will be construed as a meeting of dissenters.”
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Post of contention
It thus appeared, three days after the passing of Jayalalithaa, that the ground was being prepared for Ms. Sasikala’s elevation to the post of party general secretary that the former Chief Minister held until her death.
Two senior leaders and around half-a-dozen legislators from the southern districts, whom
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Denying reports that a section of Ministers and AIADMK MLAs belonging to the Gounder community were likely to raise the banner of revolt against such a move, a senior Minister said everyone knew that dissent in the party would amount to suicide.
“I am in touch with many MLAs and Ministers and none of them seems to nurture any such plan. The news that former Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan is planning a coup is also baseless,” said the Minister.
Even though the change of the chief ministerial post early morning on Tuesday proved to be a smooth affair, it may not be too long before Ms. Sasikala comes to control the party and government, observers say.
“She was with Amma for over three decades and protected her from the enemies. She alone can be a binding force,” said an MLA.
However, according to another source in the AIADMK, the name of a party veteran from the MGR era is being floated for the post of general secretary.
“We heard that he has the backing of some MLAs and is building up support," the source said. He added that one more name that is doing the rounds in party circles is that of Panruti S. Ramachandran, the key strategist behind the rise of M.G. Ramachandran in the mid-1970s.
Candidate in R.K. Nagar
Meanwhile, a section of party loyalists are keen on fielding Ms. Sasikala in the R.K. Nagar constituency that has fallen vacant upon Jayalalithaa’s death. That would provide her political legitimacy, they feel.
But another section feels considering the seeming resentment among grassroots cadres and the public against Ms. Sasikala, it will be risky to project her in the electoral field this early.