CHENNAI: Along with the high-decibel clamour asking AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan to take charge as Chief Minister, there is now a long queue of loyalists comprising several legislators, including ministers, offering to resign their seats to facilitate her contest from there. Leading the list is Andipatti MLA Thanga Tamil Selvan, who made way for late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa to contest from his constituency in 2001.
Tamil Selvan, who had on Monday defined a plan of action for Sasikala's take over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, said on Tuesday that he would step down to ensure that the AIADMK chief contests from his constituency, represented by late M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa in the past. “Andipatti has a special place in the history of AIADMK. Our late leader M.G. Ramachandran contested from this constituency in 1984 and I resigned as an MLA in 2001 to pave way for Amma (Jayalalithaa) to enter the Assembly. And now, I am ready to step down and make way for Chinamma,” Mr Tamil Selvan said.
“We will make sure that she wins by a margin of at least 1 lakh votes,” he said. Late Jayalalithaa contested the by-election from Andipatti in 2002 to become the Chief Minister after she was removed from the post in September 2001 through a Supreme Court order. T. Nagar MLA Sathyanarayanan said he would have no problem in resigning if Mrs Natarajan wishes to contest from his seat. “The question (of not quitting) does not arise at all. I will quit for Chinamma,” he said.
Perambur MLA P Vetrivel, who resigned his R K Nagar seat for late Jayalalithaa in 2015, says he would just not mind doing the same for Sasikala now. “Of course, I am ready to resign to enable Chinamma to contest,” he said. Since R.K. Nagar, the seat represented by Jayalalithaa from June 2015 to December 2016, is vacant, there is also speculation that Mrs Sasikala would enter the fray from there. “This will help send a signal that she is the real political heir of Amma (Jayalalithaa)”, a senior party leader said.
Former minister and Mettur MLA S. Semmalai says he would feel lucky if he makes way for Mrs Sasikala to contest from his constituency. “I felt blessed when Amma gave me the opportunity to initiate the debate on the Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address last year and I had recorded it on the floor of the House. I would feel myself lucky if Chinamma contests from my seat,” Mr Semmalai said. Tiruttani MLA P.M. Narashiman said, “Definitely, if she contests from here it would be a great honour for us and moreover the temple town of Tiruttani.”
