Janjivan Bureau
Chennai: The chorus for AIADMK general secretary Sasikala, a close aide of Jayalalithaa for three decades, to take over as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is likely to gain further momentum at a meeting of the party MLAs here today.
The meeting is likely to be held here in the afternoon today, party sources said. However, the sources did not commit on the agenda of the meeting and declined to confirm reports that the MLAs would urge Sasikala, who was made the general secretary following the death of Jayalalithaa, to take over as CM.
“It is all your imagination and guess work,” a senior leader said when asked about reports of Sasikala taking over from CM O Panneerselvam. Ever since Jayalalithaa’s death in December, there has been a clamour that Sasikala should follow the earlier practice of both the party general secretary and the Chief Minister’s post be vested in the same person.
Among others, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai has backed Sasikala for the CM’s post. Yesterday, Sasikala had appointed senior leaders, including some former ministers and a former Mayor, to key party posts.
Ex-Ministers KA Sengottaiyan, S Gokula Indira and BV Ramana, besides ex-Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy were made the AIADMK’s Organisation Secretaries.
