Chennai: Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has agreed to make way for Sasikala Natarajan to take over the state’s reins from him, cooperation minister Sellur Raju claimed here. “We will first elect Chinnamma unanimously as the general secretary at the AIADMK general council and executive session on Thursday. Soon afterwards, we will have a meeting of the party legislators and elect her as the Chief Minister. OPS is in agreement to this”, Mr Sellur Raju told DC on Tuesday.
“Everyone, from the ground-level party worker to senior ministers want Chinnamma to be the general secretary as well as the CM. We cannot have two power centres, one heading the party and the other ruling the state”, Mr Sellur Raju said.
While all efforts to reach Mr Panneerselvam failed - his office kept ducking the persistent requesting by this correspondent for a brief appointment to get his side of the story - several ministers in the OPS Cabinet backed Mr Sellur Raju’s “strategy to ensure that the AIADMK stays united and strong under the leadership of Chinnamma, who is the best qualified to hold both positions of party general secretary and state CM as she was closely associated with Jayalalithaa and learnt the art of running the party and the government”.
“This is the critical time for our party as our great leader (Jayalalithaa) passed away. But then, she had nurtured the party as the most disciplined--just like a well-trained army--political outfit in the country. And Chinnamma has been with Amma throughout this great task of party building and so she is sure to save the party from any threat”, reasoned Mr Sellur Raju.
Commercial taxes minister K.C. Veeramani, who is also the Vellore East district secretary, said his is the largest district unit in the AIADMK and everyone in it has “unequivocally supported the cry for Chinnamma to become the party general secretary as well the state CM”.
Mr Thanga Tamizhchelvan, MLA and district secretary at Theni, which happens to be OPS’ native district, claimed that there was no dissent from any quarters to the district unit’s resolution pleading with Sasikala to become party general secretary.
“We brought this resolution to the Amma memorial and took a solemn pledge to make Chinnamma our leader. As an MLA from our district, OPS was also present, so it goes without saying he has no objection to her leadership”, he said.
“Our first step is to make Chinnamma the party general secretary. Our MLAs will meet soon afterwards and elect her as CM. We cannot have two swords in a single sheath. We cannot have two power centres. OPS will accept to make way for her as CM”, said Mr Thanga Tamizhchelvan.
Several ministers this correspondent spoke to voiced similar views with identical robust resolve to make Sasikala the CM soon after the December 29 coronation as party general secretary.
It remains to be seen if their ambitious dream would fructify in the days to come and OPS will just walk away from his CM seat-considering that he has been doing a great job and appears to have the support of Delhi.
