A day after Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam sought time to prove his strength and AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala sought to form the government claiming support of party MLAs, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao held discussions with Chief Secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan, Director-General of Police T K Rajendran and Commissioner of Police S George at Raj Bhavan on Friday.
Though the meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of allegations that ruling party MLAs were confined to a resort on the East Coast Road, Raj Bhavan sources maintained that the meeting was only to apprise the Governor on the “prevailing situation in the State”.
Earlier, four days since political instability in the state of Tamil Nadu, in a brief meeting with Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday evening, state Chief Minister O Panneerselvam asked for five days to gather support of AIADMK legislators, who, he has alleged, are being held “captive” by the camp led by VK Sasikala, the close companion of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa who now heads the ruling party.
Panneerselvam, who holds the charge as interim chief minister after his resignation was accepted earlier this week, has requested the Governor to ask him, instead of VK Sasikala to prove majority in the state assembly.
According to reports sources said that Governor Rao wants the signatures that Ms Sasikala has submitted as proof of support in her party to be authenticated.
“Many signatures in Sasikala’s list are forged…O Panneerselvam told the Governor that he was forced to resign and that many legislators are being held in captivity in unknown locations,” said Dr V Maitreyan, one of the senior AIADMK leaders backing Mr Panneerselvam. He was referring to about 130 legislators who haven’t been seen or heard after they were bused by Sasikala on Wednesday to hotels and resorts in and around Chennai to prevent them from being poached by Panneerselvam.
“We are the real AIADMK,” Dr Maitreyan, a Rajya Sabha member added, pointing out that two key party officials – E Madhusudhanan, the AIADMK’s number 2 as its presidium chairman and Mr Panneerselvam as treasurer – are on one side. Panneerselvam has called his removal as party treasurer by Sasikala illegal.
“Justice will prevail,” Mr Panneerselvam said after his meeting with the governor, assuring supporters that “good things will happen.”
The AIADMK has 134 legislators in the 235-member Tamil Nadu assembly. Either side will need to prove the support of 118 to form the next government.
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