Jayalalithaa convenes MLAs meet May 22, to take over as Chief Minister
Chennai: AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa on Friday announced that party legislators meeting will be held here on May 22. In a statement, she instructed all MLAs to attend the meeting without fail at party headquarters at Royapettah by 7 am. “Amma will be elected unanimously as leader of the AIADMK legislature party in a meeting to be held on May 22 at party headquarters and this will be followed by the resignation of Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam,” AIADMK sources said adding Panneerselvam will replace Natham R. Viswanathan in the Assembly as leader of the House.
Earlier in the day, Mr Panneerselvam called on Jayalalithaa at her Poes Garden residence. Meanwhile, the party and the state government are gearing up to celebrate the successful completion of four years of AIADMK rule on May 23. “Government departments have been asked to furnish the details of the schemes executed along with the number of beneficiaries since 2011”, an official said.
“As we were sad over Amma’s self imposed exile, the Opposition was playing up with non relevant issues in the Assembly. Now, she is back to take care of the public and we will give a fitting reply to the DMK on various iss-ues,” said a party senior.
Jayalalithaa should return as CM soon: Pon Radhakrishnan
Union minister of state for highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan on Friday said AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa should return as Chief Minister at the earliest to implement development works. With just one year to go for the Assembly polls, Tamil Nadu is in need of a Chief Minister who can take firm and bold initiatives to push development works, the BJP leader said. If the Centre and state government worked together, Tamil Nadu would become a leading state, he said.
The Centre has sought the state government’s nod for contructing a harbour at Kolechal, which will prove beneficial to Tamil Nadu, he said. On Karnataka government’s proposal to build a dam at Mekedatu, the minister said the Centre will not do anything that will affect the interests of Tamil Nadu.
