Hours after being expelled from the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Wednesday said that he would initiate a probe to solve the mystery surrounding J Jayalalaithaa’s death.
Dispelling rumours about his proximity to the DMK, as alleged by party supremo Sasikala and others, Panneerselvam, noted that false information was being spread about him. Unfazed by opposition from the Sasikala camp, OPS asserted that he would soon prove his majority on the floor of the State Assembly. This is in sharp contrast to party leader M Thambidurai’s statement that Sasikala enjoys the support of 134 MLAs.
Otherwise seen as a shy and devout follower of the late Jayalalithaa, OPS ‘s attack has stunned political observers in the state. On Tuesday night, the acting Chief Minister grabbed headlines, as he narrated his ‘humiliating’ experience of being forced to resign as CM. Reacting to OPS’s sudden u-turn, the party whip called an emergency meeting, following which Sasikala vowed to remove the CM from all party positions. She also accused him of hatching a conspiracy with the rival DMK party.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues to mount over the swearing in ceremony of V K Sasikala, who was recently elected as the chief of AIADMK’S legislature party. Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao, continues to be in Mumbai and is consulting experts on the fresh crisis in the southern state. Sasikala faces corruption charges for allegedly helping Jayalalithaa in amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income in the early 1990s.
Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
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