Governor takes political decision to scuttle AIADMK MLAs choice

Chennai: Acting Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, apparently toeing the BJP line, has indicated that he will await the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Disproportionate Case involving AIADMK general sectary and CM-elect V K Sasikala, before deciding on installing her as CM.

The AIADMK Legislature  Party had unanimously elected Sasikala as the Leader, who was expected to stake her claim and be installed as CM immediately, in the normal course. However, the Governor has taken the abnormal course of delaying the meeting with Sasikala and AIADMK office-bearers, and then delaying his verdict. On both counts, this is seen as delaying tactics. If the verdict goes against Sasikala and she is barred from contesting the elections, the Governor can then reject her claim. However, in the absence of any stay order or any conviction at the moment, the Governor's action is bound to be seen as political, to suit his party, BJP's political interests.

Sasikala's majority support is not  in question. Over the last few days, the entire media has reported that the maximum support for O Panneerselvam is six mlas as against 128 to 130 for Sasikala. Therefore, the continuance of OPS as caretaker CM is clearly untenable, and against the principles of parliamentary democracy.

Extraneous factors like DA case, free will of MLAs are being brought in to give fresh lease of life to OPS and give him more time to poach on MLAs in the other camp.

In other words, Governor will wait till OPS is able to manufacture a majority. For OPS group MLAs to survive, they will have to cross the magic number of 90 to escape disqualification under the Anti-defection Act.

What the Governor has done is to create conditions for a split in the AIADMK, a wave of mutual expulsions and horse-trading, may be even in violence.  

The Governor should not wait for some court judgement in future. He can only go by the present, the circumstances facing him at this juncture. The Governor cannot be like the faulty, influenced opinion polls of the media which are aimed at suiting one political party or the other.

What the Governor has done is to actually send the message to the SC judges that they should give an adverse verdict to Sasikala.

The delay in release of the judgement by the SC is similar to the appeal made by the NDA government at the Centre to put off the Jallikattu case judgement for  a week (so that in the meantime the State ordinance will be issued and a new law will supersede). In the same way, the judgement in the DA case is sought to be delayed so that the installation of Sasikala can be delayed.

The attempt by the Governor to interfere and alter decisions of the AIADMK MLAs is bound to be criticised by legal experts.