Chennai: In a surprise development, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami called on Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday hours after attending his AIADMK's crucial meeting.
The meeting is also the first after the recent Lok Sabha polls where the ruling AIADMK managed to secure only the Theni Parliamentary constituency and lost the remaining 37 seats to the DMK-combine.
His sudden meeting with Governor also triggered speculation that he had briefed the Governor about the latest political developments in the State, particularly the growing voices for single leadership in the AIADMK and also the DMK, buoyed by its victory in Lok Sabha elections and by-election as well, demanding the government to convene an urgent session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly to “discuss crucial issues” confronting the State.
Mr. Palaniswami was accompanied by Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar and Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan at the meeting at the Raj Bhavan here. A brief official release termed the meeting as a “courtesy call” on Mr. Purohit by the Chief Minister.
The CM was said to have briefed the Governor about the new Chief Secretary and DGP. The meeting, which lasted for about an hour, also comes at a time when there are renewed calls from various quarters for a speedy decision by the Governor on the September 9, 2018 recommendation of the State Cabinet for release of all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The Cabinet had recommended the release of the convicts under Article 161 of the Constitution, which relates to the power of the Governor to grant pardons and to suspend, remit and commute sentences in certain cases. The seven: V. Sriharan alias Murugan, T. Suthanthiraraja alias Santhan, A. G. Perarivalan alias Arivu, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini, are serving life sentence in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
