The recent news about the resignation letter signed by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam came as a shock to many. However, Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao had also accepted his resignation but there is a slight twist to the dramatic situation. On Tuesday evening, O. Panneerselvam told a daily that he was forced to resign on Sunday. What do you think could be the reason? The former CM said he did so to make way for V.K. Sasikala. He also told the sources that he was insulted by senior ministers and leaders who kept undermining him. The former Chief Minister further said that he may withdraw his resignation if the people of Tamil Nadu and the party cadres wished the same.
On Sunday, he was called to the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalitha. Senior party leaders, MLAs, other ministers, Sasikala and members of Jayalalithaa’s family were present at Jayalalithaa’s residence. Panneerselvam narrated the incident by saying, “I was called to the meeting about which I did not even know. I went to Chinamma (Sasikala) and they asked me to resign. They said I should resign to make Sasikala the CM. I asked them what’s the necessity for an MLAs’ meeting. They said both the positions of party general secretary and the CM should be with one person. For two hours, they tried to convince me. But I asked them whether it is fair to ask me to resign after having elected me the leader of the AIADMK legislature party, which I did not want in the first place. Still, I tolerated all the insult just to maintain party discipline. At that stage, they forced me, saying you should follow party discipline. I resigned because I was forced to. I want a CM who will protect the people of the State and the State, even if it is not OPS. But he should protect the image of the government that Jaya provided us. I will fight for it to the last even if I am alone”.
He further said that he had a conversation with Sasikala after Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital. Panneerselvam said that Sasikala had asked him how to run the party and the government if something unexpected would happen to Jayalalitha. The conversation between the two of them distressed Paneerselvam. Sasikala told Paneerselvam in the meeting on Sunday that she was nominated twice by Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister. “Sasikala, in fact, wanted party senior Madhusudhan as general secretary to which I did not agree. Sasikala said she was nominated twice by Jayalalithaa as chief minister and that the party and the government should not be harmed. Then only I accepted it (the Chief Minister’s post)”, said Paneerselvam.
He further said that all senior ministers supported Sasikala and that she should be made General Secretary. This was evident as she was later elected by the party’s general council as All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party leader.
