This Article is From Feb 09, 2017

Governor C Vidyasagar Rao To Meet Sasikala, Supporters Today: 10 Developments

VK Sasikala gestures to supporters at party headquarters in Chennai.

Highlights

  • Governor to meet Sasikala today amid suspense over her swearing-in
  • Virtually all AIADMK lawmakers support Sasikala for Chief Minister
  • O Panneerselvam says he was forced to resign as Chief Minister
Chennai: VK Sasikala managed a near-perfect attendance for her show of strength on Wednesday morning, establishing her grip on the ruling AIADMK, which has chosen her to be Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. 131 of the party's 134 legislators attended the conclave where she branded O Panneerselvam, the man she is meant to replace as Chief Minister, as a "liar" who has betrayed the party and its former leader, J Jayalalithaa, who died in December while she was Chief Minister.

Here are the 10 latest developments in this story:

  1. Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will meet Ms Sasikala at 2 pm along with the legislators who are backing her.

  2. The lawmakers were bused to a resort where they remained overnight to prevent them from being poached by other parties - or Mr Panneerselvam. On Wednesday evening, he told NDTV that some of the legislators, despite their stated support to Ms Sasikala, are in touch with him.

  3. Mr Panneerselvam, who has been sacked from the post of the party treasurer by Ms Sasikala, has termed it illegal under party rules. He has written to banks, asking them not to allow anyone access to AIADMK funds without his permission, reported news agency Press Trust of India.

  4. The political crisis began on Tuesday night when, after visiting his mentor Ms Jayalalithaa's beach-side memorial, Mr Panneerselvam announced that he was coerced and humiliated into resigning as Chief Minister on Sunday, and that he deserves the opportunity to take a trust vote in the legislature.

  5. So the crisis centres on Mr Panneerselvam, used as a seat-warmer often by Ms Jayalalithaa, refusing to play the same role for Ms Sasikala who was chosen on Sunday by the AIADMK to replace him as Chief Minister.

  6. For decades, Ms Jayalalithaa, referred to as "Amma" or mother by her cadre and lakhs of supporters, was the only power centre of the AIADMK. Ms Sasikala, who was her constant companion, is called "Chinamma" (mother's younger sister).

  7. After Ms Jayalalithaa died while she was Chief Minister in December, Ms Sasikala moved quickly to have Mr Panneerselvam take office. Her intent was to prevent the AIADMK, now bereft of the super-glue hold of Ms Jayalalithaa, from being recruited by other parties or engaging in a contest for leadership.

  8. Governor Rao did not return to Chennai from first Delhi and then Mumbai despite the political confusion, provoking much criticism. On Wednesday, he was filmed at an event he attended in Mumbai stating "On TV in Chennai, when you put it on, you can hear them asking 'where is the Governor?' I am happy to be here in your midst."

  9. AIADMK parliamentarians had threatened to meet with President Pranab Mukherjee to complain about the Governor's no-show as a move designed to benefit Ms Sasikala's political opponents. A group of nine legislators, led by senior leader M Thambidurai, left for Delhi last evening.

  10. Along with the Governor's absence, another problematic development for Ms Sasikala has emerged from the Supreme Court which has said it will rule next week on whether she assisted Ms Jayalalithaa in a corrupt amassing of wealth in the early 90s. Political opponents like the DMK have said that Ms Sasikala should not be made Chief Minister till the verdict is known.



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