PIL in SC to stop Sasikala from becoming TN's CM; swearing-in ceremony delayed

The drama in Chennai is far from over, as events unfolded through Monday in the Tamil Nadu capital, as well as in faraway New Delhi, where the Supreme Court announced it would deliver its verdict in the disproportionate assets (DA) case in a week. In 1996 Jayalalithaa, Sasikala Natarajan and two others were accused in a DA case and booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Apparently angered by the SC's announcement, AIADMK general secretary Sasikala advanced her plans of becoming the new chief minister by a week, causing current chief minister O Panneerselvam to tender his resignation.

However, TN Governor Ch Vidhyasagar Rao, who was supposed to reach Chennai from Delhi to swear Sasikala in on Tuesday, has gone to Mumbai, AIADMK sources said on Monday night, adding that the swearing-in may not take place today but most likely on Thursday.

Earlier, a Tamil Nadu-based NGO Satta Panchayat Iyakkam filed a plea in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking a stay on Sasikala's swearing-in today. The SC announced on Monday evening it would hear the plea today morning.

In his petition to the top court, Senthil Kumar said that Sasikala's swearing-in should be stayed until after the top court pronounces its verdict in the DA case. Senthil referred to incidents of rioting and arson when a trial court in Karnataka convicted Jayalalithaa at a time when she was chief minister. To avoid a repeat of this scenario, Senthil submitted that there could be confusion and mass hysteria again in the eventuality that Sasikala was pronounced guilty by the apex court after being sworn in as chief minister.

Court problems aside, Sasikala and the AIADMK also faced people problems. The contrast with Jayalalithaa could not be greater. A party used to frenzied crowds over their Amma faced a rude shock as a muted response greeted AIADMK general secretary's Sasikala election as the party's top legislative leader. Social media was abuzz as Twitter handles such as #TNSaysNo2Sasi went viral and sources within the party confessed that not everyone was happy with her hurried elevation to the top post.

In stark contrast to the times of Jayalalithaa, when AIADMK cadres would throng her residence, distributing sweets to passers-by, neither crowds nor celebrations were to be seen at Poes Garden, the late CM's official residence where Sasikala continues to stay. Furthermore, AIADMK cadres seem not to have rallied behind Sasikala, even though she enjoys the full support of all her party's elected representatives – MLAs and MPs.

An AIADMK office-bearer in Tiruvallur said the urgency with which Sasikala has taken over the party and government has not gone down well with the party cadre, especially after the mysterious circumstances in which Amma ('Mother' as cadres refer to Jayalalithaa) died. "When we organised vehicles to transport the party cadre to attend Sasikala's visit to the party headquarters to formally take charge as general secretary, they were half empty. Now the situation has become worse," he said.

Earlier, senior AIADMK leaders and state ministers, including Edappadi Palanisamy, P Thangamani, had visited Sasikala and were engaged in a long discussion over the induction of new ministers and distribution of portfolios. Sources in AIADMK said that the Sasikala-headed cabinet would be one of the largest ever in the state with 36 members. Panneerselvam headed a cabinet of 31 ministers. Senior leaders like KA Sengottaiyan are likely to be inducted into her ministry while a few ministers may be dropped.

Meanwhile, the infighting within the party has continued to grow. Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayaraman who is attracting quite a number of AIADMK cadre, said, "Sasikala taking over the party and the government is like a military coup of sorts." DMK working president M. K. Stalin said that people had voted only once last year but they would soon get a third chief minister. "O Panneerselvam will again become chief minister once the Supreme Court gives its judgment on the disproportionate assets case," he said.

In Delhi, even senior Congress leader P Chidambaram could not stop himself from commenting on the situation, "Looking back with pride, TN CM chair was occupied by (K) Kamaraj and (CN) Anna. AIADMK and people of Tamil Nadu are now moving in opposite directions. It is the right of AIADMK MLAs to elect their leader. It is the right of the people to ask if the leader deserves to be CM."

Such strong words by senior politicians, the court, public apathy, along with a hurriedly convened press conference of the doctors' team who treated Jayalalithaa on Monday, added to Sasikala's problems just ahead of her swearing-in ceremony. Indeed, the advancement of the ceremony itself has raised many eyebrows.

At the press conference, London-based intensivist Dr Richard Beale, along with doctors from Apollo Hospital and government doctors, tried to dispel all the rumours surrounding Jayalalithaa's death after keeping mum for two months. Doctors maintained that Jayalalithaa who was recovering well died of cardiac arrest on December 5. Government doctor Balaji said that the hospital treatment bill of Jayalalithaa was between Rs 5 crore and Rs 5.5 crore and it was handed over to her family.