O Panneerselvam revolts against Sasikala, AIADMK leadership

Chennai: Outgoing chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam, on February 7 night, revolted against AIADMK general secretary and
CM-elect V K Sasikala, and said he would fight, even as a loner, for AIADMK to have good leadership. He said he would withdraw
his resignation if the people and the party wanted him to do so.

Panneerselvam sprang a surprise when he made a sudden visit to the Jayalalithaa memorial  at 9 p.m. and mediatated  for over 40
minutes in silence. Later, talking to mediapersons, he said he was humiliated after being asked to take over the chief ministership after
the death of Jayalalithaa. A few ministers made public their demand that Sasikala be made CM, and he even complained to her that
this was unethical as they were part of his cabinet. While she pulled up Miniaster Udhayakumar for making such a statement,  other
ministers continued to make the same demand. This pained him, he said, though by his actions as CM in the wake of the Vardah
cyclone, Jallikattu issue and the oil spill in Chennai, he had merely tried to earn a good name for the AIADMK.

Panneerselvam said even earlier Jayalalithaa, speaking to him at the Apollo hospital, wanted him to take over the chief  ministership
while she was keen that Madhusudhanan should be the general secretary. He initially refused as he said he could not imagine being
chief minister in such circumstances.

Meanwhile, a meeting of ministers and senior party functionaries was on at Poes Garden, Sasikala's residence, to discuss steps to be
taken following Panneerselvam's revolt.

Wednesday would seen fast-moving events, indicating a possible expulsion of OPS from the party to pre-empt any move by him to
gain support in the cabinet and in the party.