Senior leaders begin to question the ‘hasty’ swearing-in of O Panneerselvam

CHENNAI: Less than 24 hours after AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa was laid to rest, rumblings have started in the party. Senior leaders have begun to question the “indecent haste” with which O Panneerselvam was sworn in as the chief minister as they feel it was a temporary move before Sasikalaa makes her ambitions clear.

A quiet power struggle between two dominant caste groups has been playing out since Monday evening, even before the announcement of Jayalalithaa’s death; now it seems to get audible with leaders talking about the likelihood of Sasikalaa trying to play a bigger role. A few legislators who told on Tuesday that they would support Sasikalaa as the party general secretary made a U-turn on Wednesday.