Chennai: Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam’s swearing in ceremony on Monday was the most cost-effective high-profile event in the history of Tamil Nadu politics, said one highly placed official source.
It had only the ministers invited for the event, starting by 1.20 pm and ending within the hour. There was no tea or snacks served for the participants. “And we used some extra chairs inside the Raj Bhavan durbar,” the source added.
With AIADMK party supremo Jayalalithaa in jail for the third day, the swearing in of the Chief Minister and 30 other ministers was a formality without any fanfare. There was no formal reception given to any of the visitors.
The roads were also deserted, and the usual pomp, marked by a police band, was also missing near the Sardar Patel Road when the AIADMK legislators arrived and left Raj Bhavan after the swearing in ceremony. A few MLAs who arrived late decided not to enter the Durbar Hall during the function.
This low-key mood will continue at least for a month, with several government functions this week that were to have ministers present, standing cancelled. All functions have been postponed.
“Except for review meetings and important ministerial discussions, at present, there is no scope for official functions,” said a senior IAS officer.
Monday, the day that the AIADMK nominee became the new Chief Minister, saw a lull at the party office.
“The government is stable and it will function smoothly, but Amma’s absence has started affecting us from day one. For instance, there are no clear instructions on how to conduct the ongoing peaceful demonstrations protesting against the court verdict across the state,” pointed out a former AIADMK MLA near the party headquarters at Royapettah.
