Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s close associate Sasikala Natarajan seems to be determined to become Chief Minister of the state at an earliest. She has reportedly conveyed her intention in clear terms to the Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, when he met her yesterday with few other senior ministers at Jaya’s residence.
According to few reports, however, the chief minister expressed his strong reservation and questioned her if she is having such intention why he was asked to take up this task for few days. Other ministers said to be remained silent. She also reportedly didn’t try to make arguments.
According to her game-plan, she has decided to contest in the by polls to be held from R K Nagar assembly seat, vacated after Jaya’s untimely death. After becoming MLA, she want to become Chief Minister. Chief Minister seems to be said he has no objection if she wishes to contest in the by-poll, but opposed her intention to become Chief Minister.
At the time of choosing Jayalalitha’s successor itself, she seems to be played calculated move by preferring Panneerselvam, expecting he would be soft and it would be easy for her to replace him. Moreover, his influence is limited to his own district only.
Though Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai had emerged as a strong contender, Sasikala tactfully overlooked him by suggesting to continue the existing arrangement. That means making Panneerselvam, who was the de facto Chief Minister during Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation, as Chief Minister.
She sensed that it would be difficult to replace Thambidurai once he takes charge of governance. He belongs to influential Gounder, an OBC community, a dominant community and support base of the party. They constitute the single largest intermediate caste group in the AIADMK legislature party.
Apart from Gounders, Thevars forms the most influential caste grouping within the party. Panneerselvam and Sasikala hails from Thevars community. For her, to replace his co-cast person would be easy.
Denial of Thambidurai claim seems to be already creating unrest among them that is surfacing with discontent of `gross imbalance in the ministry. They argue that they are having only five members in the cabinet, as against 28 MLAs, whereas nine Thevars, including Chief Ministers found place in the cabinet.
