Sasikala To Replace Panneerselvam As CM
posted on Feb 4, 2017 @ 12:02PM
The legislators of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK will attend a crucial meeting on Sunday afternoon amid speculations that party general secretary VK Sasikala may replace chief minister O Panneerselvam. The buzz over Sasikala’s appointment as CM came against the backdrop of the party politically rehabilitating several leaders who were shunned by Jayalalithaa, the charismatic Tamil Nadu leader who died in December after complications following a cardiac arrest.
The move is being seen as a play to thwart Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakaumar, who is said to be in touch with a section of AIADMK leaders before announcing her political plan on the late CM’s birthday on February 24 amid talks of a possible succession tug-of-war.
Sasikala has been Jayalalithaa’s closest aide since the 1980s. She has been taking care of party affairs, although she never held any formal position in the AIADMK before Jayalalithaa’s death.