Chennai sources have stated that Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Monday had accepted the resignation of Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, clearing the decks for V.K. Sasikala to take over the top post. Mr. Panneerselvam had resigned on Sunday citing “personal reasons”. His resignation has come after AIADMK chief Sasikala was elected the Legislature Party Leader.
Mr. Rao has told Mr. Panneerselvam that “I hereby accept your resignation and the resignation of your Council of Ministers tendered vide your letter dated February 5, 2017" and in a letter addressed to the Chief Minister and released by the Raj Bhavan, Mr. Rao had also asked Mr. Panneerselvam and his Cabinet to function “until alternate arrangements are made”.
In his resignation letter addressed to the Governor on Sunday, Pannerselvam had said, “Due to my personal reasons, I’m tendering my resignation from the post of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and kindly accept my resignation and relieve the Council of Ministers of Tamil Nadu appointed by me on December 6, 2016".
Mr. Panneerselvam was appointed Chief Minister on the night
of December 5 within hours of the death of his predecessor J Jayalalitha.
Incidentally, he had proposed the name of Ms. Sasikala for the top post at the
AIADMK MLAs meeting held in the party headquarters in Chennai on Sunday.
