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All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai dismissed O Panneerselvam’s claim that he was forced to resign as chief minister and insisted party chief V K Sasikala would become the chief minister as all the legislators were behind ‘Chinnamma’.
Emerging from the Poes Garden residence of Sasikala, he asked “Do you believe he was coerced, forced to resign?” and dismissed Panneerselvam’s claims, saying “Do we need such a chief minister?”
“All the MLAs are united... All the legislators are inside (pointing to the Poes Garden residence),” he said, adding in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK will continue its rule for the remaining four-and-a-half years.
He said “Be it (the upcoming) civic poll or Parliamentary elections, we will win all under the leadership of Chinnamma.”
The AIADMK propaganda secretary also claimed “Panneerselvam is instable.”
State minister C Ve Shanmugam called Panneerselvam “a betrayer”.
AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala alleged that the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham was behind O Panneerselvam’s revolt against her and asserted that all the party MLAs were with her and hence there is “no problem” in her becoming the Tamil Nadu chief minister.
“All the MLAs are there like a single family, so there is no problem,” she told reporters at a crowded press meet.
This was Sasikala’s first interaction with journalists, albeit at an impromptu press meet in front of her residence around 1.15 am.
Asked if Panneerselvam, who was removed from the post of party treasurer, would also be removed from AIADMK’s primary membership, she asserted, “For sure, we will do it.”
She denied Panneerselvam’s charge that he was coerced to resign, saying “He was saying what he was told.”
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Late on Tuesday night, Panneerselvam had raised the banner of revolt against Sasikala, saying he was forced to resign from his post and asserted that only a person desired by both the people and cadres should succeed him in the government and take charge of the party.
Soon after breaking a 40-minute long meditation in front of the burial site of late Jayalalithaa at Marina beach in Chennai, close to 10 pm, he said he was insulted and forced to resign to pave the way for elevation of Sasikala as chief minister.
Panneerselvam said he was told he should quit as CM to protect the party’s discipline and that if he did not do so, it would be a violation of party discipline.
No answer was forthcoming to his query to the need for him to resign, he said, adding he was not even given a chance to go to Jayalalithaa’s burial site and told he could do so later.
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He had also said that if the people and party cadres so wished, he might withdraw his resignation.
Panneerselvam recalled the events since hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa, saying he was asked by Sasikala to take over as CM when Amma’s health deteriorated and when she was on the verge of passing away. He had initially refused, but accepted it when they insisted that he take over the post.
He also claimed he was “unaware” of convening of Sunday’s AIADMK legislature party meeting, which elected Sasikala as the leader.