AIADMK supremo VK Sasikala’s swearing-in as the third woman Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu will not be held today.
According to reports, Sasikala’s oath is likely to be delayed by a few days as Governor Vidyasagar Rao is believed to be seeking legal opinion on her assuming charge since the verdict in the DA case against her is set to be pronounced by the Supreme Court next week.
AIR reported that all preparations are being made for the swearing-in of Sasikala but a date in this regard is yet to be announced. Moreover, Sasikala is yet to stake claim to form the government after her election as the AIADMK Legislature Party leader on Sunday.
The administration has drafted the invitations in which the date and timing is to be inserted and the venue is also almost readied, the report said.
Reports are also doing the rounds that Rao was in no hurry to administer the oath to Sasikala. Rao is currently in Mumbai as he is the Governor of Maharashtra also.
The Governor wants to wait till the verdict of the Supreme Court, expected next week, on whether Sasikala, a close aide of late CM Jayalalithaa, was guilty of corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in the 21-year-old Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.
Meanwhile, DMK working president ML Stalin has alleged that there were mysteries surrounding Jayalalithaa's treatment and the election of AIADMK chief Sasikala as the Legislature Party leader.
The leader is likely to visit New Delhi to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to appraise them of the political situation in Tamil Nadu.
However, party spokesperson and MP T.K.S. Elangovan said there was no official confirmation about the visit.
"I am in Delhi and so are the other party MPs. We haven't got any information about Stalin's Delhi visit. He may come tonight (Tuesday)," Elangovan told IANS over phone from Delhi on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the AIADMK legislators unanimously chose Sasikala, who is not a member of the Assembly, for the CM post. Addressing the legislators, the 59-year old leader, a long-time confidante of Jayalalithaa, said that outgoing CM O Panneerselvam himself wanted her to head the government.
According to AIADMK sources, Panneerselvam had proposed her name and the other MLAs seconded it to show unanimity in the party. Sasikala belongs to the Thevar community, which has a dominant say in the AIADMK.
Born in 1957 in Thiruthuraipoondi, Sasikala was married to M. Natarajan, a Tamil Nadu government official. In the 1980s, Natarajan urged South Arcot District Collector V.S. Chandralekha to introduce Sasikala to Jayalalithaa so that the then AIADMK Propaganda Secretary would get due publicity.
With Jayalalithaa finding Sasikala's work satisfactory, they became friends. After a while, Sasikala moved into the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa in Chennai. Sasikala used to accompany Jayalalithaa on her trips, often seated behind the actor-turned-AIADMK leader.
Jayalalithaa publicly called Sasikala a sister not related by blood. But despite their closeness, Sasikala maintained a low profile publicly although she was actively involved in managing the party affairs. Their relationship turned sour in 2011 and Jayalalithaa told Sasikala and her family members to leave her residence. But they patched up later, ensuring Sasikala's return to the AIADMK.
