With Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa continue to be in “critical situation” following a massive cardiac arrest, the MLAs of AIDMK has signed a declaration that stated that O Paneerselvam will be the successor of Jayalalithaa as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalithaa’s close confidante Sasikala Natarajan is learnt to have called the AIADMK MLAs to Apollo Hospital in Chennai, where the party supremo is being treated since September 22, and asked the MLAs to sign declaration stating that Panneerselvam will succeed as Tamil Nadu’s chief minister.
The MLA from Bodinayakanur Assembly constituency in Theni district, Tamil Nadu, O Paneerselvam has been chief minister twice earlier, when he had succeeded Jayalalithaa because of her legal cases.
The first time Panneerselvam was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in September 2001 when Jayalalithaa was barred from holding office by the Supreme Court of India. He served as the Chief Minister from from September 21, 2001 to March 1, 2002.
As CM, he was widely lauded for his “loyalty” to Jayalalithaa in her absence on chair. In March 2002, he resigned as chief minister to pave way for Jayalalithaa to be sworn in on the post following the Supreme Court overturning her conviction.
Second time, on September 29, 2014, Pannerselvam took over from Jayalalithaa as Tamil Nadu’s 17th chief minister when she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case. However, he resigned on May 22, 2015 and Jayalalithaa was sworn in again as chief minister after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in the disproportionate assets case on May 11, 2015.
Panneerselvam was the leader of the AIADMK legislative party and the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for about two weeks after the party lost the state elections in 2006. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from Periyakulam. Jayalalithaa replaced him as the Leader of Opposition after all the AIADMK MLAs were suspended by the Speaker.
On May 23, 2016, he was sworn in as Minister for Finance and Public Works Departments in Jayalalithaa’s government.
Panneerselvam held the portfolios of Finance, Planning, Legislative Assembly, Elections and Passports, Personnel and Administrative Reforms. On the other hand, Jayalalithaa held Public, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, General Administration, District Revenue Officers, Police and Home Affairs portfolios.
With Jayalalithaa in the ICU, Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao allocated the portfolios held by Jayalalithaa to Panneerselvam on October 11.It was also decided that Panneerselvam will also head the Cabinet meetings. The arrangement was made as per Jayalalithaa’s “advice”.
However, Pannerselvam, considered to be the most loyal minister in her Cabinet, has been chosen to select him with Jayalalithaa’s health remaining highly critical.
Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy: indianexpress.com
