CHENNAI: E Palaniswami, freshly victorious in a belief vote now challenged by the opposition within the Excessive Court docket, formally began work as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister this morning. He walked into the workplace utilized by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and sat on the chair she used, unoccupied for over 5 months since she was hospitalized in September final yr.
Ms. Jayalalithaa didn’t return from the hospital. She died there on December 5 and O Panneerselvam, who took oath hours later, didn’t use her workplace or chair. Mr. Panneerselvam or OPS, given to obsequious demonstration of his devotion to Ms. Jayalalithaa or Amma didn’t use her workplace or chair in his earlier quick stints as chief minister both – these occasions he had stood in for the AIADMK’s highly effective matriarch when she needed to resign over corruption costs. In all three phrases, he positioned her for all cupboard conferences, at all times clear that he was a proxy for her.
Mr. Palaniswami clearly had no such sentimental issues holding him again. Sitting in Ms. Jayalalithaa’s workplace, he signed paperwork with ministers and senior bureaucrats current this morning. He had his personal manner of proving his loyalty to Amma – he held up her as he spoke to reporters. Mr. Palaniswami has ordered 50 per cent subsidy for two-wheelers for working ladies, the closure of 500 authorities run liquor outlets and a hike in allowances for pregnant ladies and unemployed youth. All of those had been election promise made by Ms. Jayalalithaa, who was re-elected final yr.
Mr. Palaniswami took oath on Thursday final together with a 30-member cupboard, filling in for social gathering chief VK Sasikala whose chief ministerial aspirations had been crushed by the Supreme Court docket, convicting her in a corruption case. She watched the oath ceremony from jail in Bengaluru.
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On Saturday – after 5 hours of drama that noticed legislators yanking miss out, pushing chairs and tables and surrounding the Speaker – the Tamil Nadu Speaker P Dhanapal declared that Mr. Palaniswami had received a vote of confidence with 122 votes in his favor. No opposition members voted – the DMK was evicted by the Speaker earlier than voting and the Congress walked out in protest. Eleven votes had been forged towards the chief minister by the insurgent AIADMK faction led by Mr. Pannerselvam, who had resigned earlier this month to permit Ms. Sasikala to be Chief Minister, however later mentioned he was coerced to resign.
The DMK has mentioned that the belief vote is illegitimate as a result of it was launched twice. The speaker had adjourned the meeting twice following ruckus by DMK MLAs. The Madras Excessive Court docket is more likely to hear its plea to cancel the belief vote tomorrow.
