Governor should recall OPS as CM as his resignation was under duress: KT Raghavan

Chennai: ‘I am willing to withdraw my resignation if the people and the AIADMK cadres want me to do so'. That statement of Mr Panneerselvam could literally toss the ball back into the court of Governor Vidyasagar Rao as he must now take the decision whether to reconsider his accepting the CM's resignation as he has now made it clear that he had not quit on his own but was compelled to that.

The Governor cannot accept a resignation if he is convinced it was not rendered voluntarily but was obtained by force, says K.T. Raghavan, BJP state secretary.

"Mr Panneerselvam has now come out with the startling revelation that the meeting of the MLAs where Sasikala was elected the leader (CM) was convened even without his knowledge, whereas he should have convened it being the leader of the legislature party.

Though the Governor had accepted the resignation the resignation, he should now reconsider that in view of this new revelation. There was clearly coercion and Mr Panneerselvam was forced to resign, under duress", Raghavan told DC.