With doctors saying that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa requires a longer stay at the hospital, AIADMK functionaries are discussing over placing a stand-in leadership to hold the reigns of the government.
It is believed that names of Edappadi K Palaniswamy and O Panneerselvam as an alternative chief minister are under consideration, while senior ministers might handle Jayalalithaa’s portfolios.
The development happened a day after Governor Vidyasagar Rao met with the top bureaucrat, the state's Chief Secretary, and two senior ministers including O Panneerselvam and E K Palanisamy.
During the meeting, the governor was briefed about the state’s general administration in the absence of chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao briefed the governor about the functions being carried out on a day-to-day basis.
It may be worth mentioning here that Mr Panneerselvam had replaced Ms Jayalalithaa as the chief minister for nine months when she was arrested on corruption charges in 2014.
Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration.
The 68-year-old former movie star, who is one of the country's most powerful and popular politicians, was on Friday visited by Congress Vice President Raul Gandhi, who said, “She is on the road to recovery”.
Meanwhile, the Madras High Court ruled that the government does not need to make a formal statement of the Chief Minister’s health or choose a replacement till she returns to work.
