The landslide victory of TTV Dinakaran, nephew of Sasikala, in the RK Nagar by-election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly by more than 40,000 votes, exposes the false claim of Eddapadi Palanaswami and OPS Panneerselvam, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively, to be the inheritors of J Jayalalitha’s political legacy. From the very beginning of Jayalalitha’s leadership of the AIADMK, the party was managed by Sasikala who chose to remain behind the scenes. No one understood Sasikala’s importance and role in the party and in the administration better than Panneerselvam who was deputed as Chief Minister thrice during Jayalalitha’s life time. It was to Sasikala he reported and went for guidance when faced with problems.

After Jayalalitha’s death last December and a brief interrugunum of Panneerselvam and Palaniswamy as Chief Minister, the BJP propped up the two as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively without ascertaining the wishes of the party legislators. While Panneerselvam never faced a vote of confidence, Palanaswami was helped to win one by Sasikala. Having climbed to the top by using Sasikala as a ladder, both ungrateful men kicked the ladder.

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The BJP was happy to let the duo continue in power because they carried out the bidding of the saffron party without let or hindrance. The RK Nagar by-election came as a litmus test to prove the legitimacy of the duo. It failed miserably. Maximum handicaps were placed on the path of Dinakaran, including depriving his claim to the AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol.  The Election Commission allotted it to two breakaway factions of the AIADMK brought together by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For all its shenanigans, the BJP candidate could not even match the NOTA votes.

The ruling AIADMK was quick to blame the money-power of Dinakaran. The fact is none of the 56 candidates in the field other than Madhusudhanan of the ruling party was able to distribute money as freely as he was allowed to do. The EPS-OPS government managed to survive so far without having to face the legislative Assembly. It met last on 20 July. But the government cannot avoid convening the Assembly on or before 20 January to meet the constitutional requirement of maximum six months gap between sessions. The disqualification of 18 MLAs owing allegiance to Dinakaran is pending before the Madras High Court.

Another petition by the DMK asking the court why Panneerselvam and 10 of his supporters who defied the whip and voted against the Palaniswamy government had not been disqualified so far. A third petition, also by the DMK, challenging the suspension of 21 of its MLAs on spurious breach of privilege charge, is also pending in court.  If the Assembly cannot be convened before 20 January, the Union government will be left with no option but to impose President’s rule in Tamil Nadu.