Panneerselvam meets Sasikala twice in 24 hrs, fuels speculation of her elevation
Chennai: Fuelling speculations that Sasikala Natarajan is now running the show in the ruling AIADMK, newly appointed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met the former aide of Jayalalihtaa on Friday again, before heading to work.
Panneerselvam met her at Poes Garden along with a host of senior ministers; making it the second time had done so in less then 24 hours. While the agenda of the meeting is not known, reports indicate that she may be elevated as party's general secretary, a post which was held by Jayalalithaa for almost 27 years.
Senior leaders of the party have not denied reports that she may fill the void left by Jaya to become the next AIADMK supremo.
It is learnt that in the Thursday meeting which stretched more than two hours, the question of fixing a date for the important General Council meeting of the AIADMK party was discussed. Also, the details of how best to commemorate the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on her birth anniversary (February 24, 2017) were discussed.
The two meetings are a clear indication that the house on Poes Garden is still the most influential power centre in the ruling party even after Jaya’s demise. Sasikala and some of her kin are now residents of the house in which Jaya lived for close to 40 years.
Sasikala had performed the last rites of Jayalalithaa on Tuesday, and it has been reported that she manoeuvred the AIADMK top brass on Monday, holding several key meetings to consolidate her position in the party. Eventually, O Paneerselvam, considered close to Sasikala, was sworn in as the new Tamil Nadu CM on Tuesday morning.
Panneerselvam, who belongs to the same community as Sasikala Natarajan, had stood in as chief minister for Jayalalithaa twice before. However, critics now allege that he will be remote-controlled by Sasikala.
The AIADMK top brass also has to decide whether to call a meeting of the general council of the party for the election of a new chief, said the report. This was never done during Jayalalithaa’s time at the helm because of the enormous power and control she wielded.
