In the tussle between VK Sasikala and O Panneerselvam, the man she is prepping to replace as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, a cat-and-mouse game involving 131 AIADMK lawmakers meant a sleepless night for many. Last evening, the lawmakers were split into different groups, herded in luxury buses and taken to various hotels and resorts so they cannot be found and “poached”. One group was traced by media to the Golden Bay resort near Mahabalipuram, around 80 km from Chennai, which offers, among its many attractions, a beach, massages and water-skiing.
Despite the tight vigil characteristic of “resort politics”, a lawmaker managed to slip away from a bus. SP Shanmuganathan reportedly excused himself for a bathroom break and did not return. Last night, he reportedly met Mr Panneerselvam, who has rebelled against Ms Sasikala and accused her of forcing him to resign as Chief Minister.
Policemen were seen outside the Golden Bay resort as Ms Sasikala guarded her flock for a show of strength when she meets Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, who had been out of Chennai since Sunday. Ms Sasikala has accused the Governor of delaying her swearing-in by not returning sooner.
Panneerselvam and V Maitreyan – the AIADMK parliamentarian who has come out in his support – have claimed that many of the lawmakers are ready to denounce Ms Sasikala and come out in support of the outgoing Chief Minister, a strong loyalist of J Jayalalithaa.
Sasikala, who was Jayalalithaa’s oldest companion and shared a home with her for years, yesterday declared Mr Panneerselvam a traitor and told lawmakers in a one-hour address at the party office, “I hope all of you, all of you who loved Amma will be with me.”
Jayalalithaa, referred to as “Amma” by her supporters, headed the AIADMK with an iron hand for decades until she died on December 5. Hours after her death, Mr Panneerselvam, who had been chosen by the former Chief Minister as her stand-in twice when she was forced to step down, was sworn in. He resigned after the party last weekend chose Ms Sasikala to take charge of the state government.
