No change in support to Sasikala for CM’s post: AIADMK leader

Cheni, Feb 11: AIADMK Presidium Chairman K.A.Sengottaiyan on Saturday said there is no change in the legislators’ decision to support General Secretary V.K.Sasikala for the post of Chief Minister. Speaking to reporters near here after a meeting of party legislators chaired by Sasikala at a beach resort, he said the aim of party’s law makers is to make Sasikala the Chief Minister. He discounted the possibility of any other person to be proposed as Chief Minister. With uncertainty prevailing on Tamil du Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao calling her to form the next government and more of her supporters switching loyalties, Sasikala on Saturday met party legislators housed in a beach resort. Starting out of the Poes Garden residence of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who died on December 5, Sasikala reached the beach resort and interacted with the partly legislators who have been kept there for the past several days. Earlier in the day Sasikala sought an appointment with Governor Rao along with all legislators supporting her. In a letter to Rao, copies of which were issued to the media, Sasikala said acting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has resigned from his post and the same was accepted by the Governor a week ago. “...taking the urgency of the situation at hand, I would like to seek an appointment with Your Excellency by today with all MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) who extended their support to me regarding further course of action to form the Government. “I believe Your Excellency will act immediately to save the Sovereignty of the Constitution, democracy and the interest of the State,” the letter notes.

With the Governor taking his time to decide on the next Chief Minister, Sasikala, speaking to party cadres earlier, said she believes in democracy and justice and maintaining patience. “Only to some extent we can be patient. After that we all together would do what needs to be done,” she said. Meanwhile, a large contingent of police force have been deployed outside the Raj Bhavan here. (IANS)