Tamil Nadu likely sees a change of leadership as there are speculations that party general secretary VK Sasikala may replace current TN chief minister O Panneerselvam. This decision is expected to be taken in the crucial AIADMK meeting held on 5th February.
The sources did not comment on the agenda of the meeting and refused to say anything that the MLAs would urge Sasikala to take over as Tamil Nadu CM. A senior leader said, “It is all your imagination and guesswork.”
Among the others, former bureaucrat and advisor to Jayalalithaa, Sheela Balakrishnan also resigned because she was being ignored by the new dispensation. CS Rama Mohan Rao, CM’s secretaries Ramalingam and KN Venkataraman were asked to resign.
Her supporters called her ‘Chinnamma’ (younger Amma), they claimed that Sasikala had been Amma’s “aide, sister, friend and confidante” for 30 years.
Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai also urged Sasikala to take over the CM’s post.
Yesterday, Sasikala had appointed senior leaders including former ministers BV Ramana, S Gokula Indira, KA Sengottaiyan and a former mayor Saidai S Duraisamy to key party posts as organisation secretaries.
She also appointed Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar to a key party post. Sasikala announced the removal of Ambattur MLA V Alexander as AIADMK’s MGR Youth Wing Secretary. However, he will continue as the party’s Tiruvallore (East) District Secretary.
On December 29, AIADMK’s top decision-making body General Council appointed Sasikala as the General Secretary. She took charge of the post on December 31.
In the same month, four state ministers urged Sasikala to become the Chief Minister besides AIADMK General Secretary.
A resolution was passed at a meeting of Tirunelveli Urban Jaya Peravai (Forum) led by state AIADMK secretary and revenue minister R B Udhayakumar.
Since the 1980s Sasikala has been Jayalalithaa’s closest aide and friend. Before Jayalalithaa’s death, she has been taking care of party affairs, though she did not hold any formal position.
Political analyst Gnani Shankaran said Chinnamma was a ‘power centre’ in AIADMK even when Amma was alive.
