While names of many diehard loyalists have been floated, state finance minister O Panneerselvam has emerged the strongest probable.
Having served as chief minister for six months from September 2001 when Jayalalithaa had to step down because of the Tansi case, Panneerselvam may clinch it for his record of being tried and tested. He has remained more loyal than expected, and never made any effort to be remembered as an ex-CM.
It was as an acknowledgement of this loyalty that Jayalalithaa rewarded him with the key portfolios of finance and public works when the party came to power in 2011. Party insiders say that in the recent past Panneerselvam has been the liaison person between Jayalalithaa and other ministers and senior partymen. That he enjoys the confidence of Sasikalaa is an added advantage.
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But since predictability is not one of Jayalalithaa's bestknown attributes, there are other hopefuls. Transport minister V Senthil Balaji, revenue minister R B Udayakumar, speaker P Dhanapal, AIADMK parliamentary party leader M Thambidurai and Rajya Sabha MP A Navaneethakrishnan are but some of them.
( Finance minister O Panneerselvam before budget presentation in the assembly. File Photo)
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Soon after the verdict, governor K Rosaiah on Saturday summoned chief secretary Mohan Varghese Chunkat, director general of police K Ramanujam and Chennai police commissioner S George to discuss the fallout of Jayalalithaa's conviction. Although the governor is in charge right now, concerns over a power vacuum and a volatile law and order situation figured in the half-anhour meeting at Raj Bhavan.
An official release said the officers apprised the governor about measures taken to prevent untoward incidents. The governor told the officers that law and order needs to be maintained.
The meeting centered on fixing the future course of action. Identifying a replacement would be the next crucial step for Jayalalithaa.
A CM who won't sit in CM's chair?
During his short stint as chief minister between September 2001 and March 2002, O Panneerselvam not only refused to sit on the CM's chair but was reluctant to sign files. He seemed happy to be a nightwatchman, comfortable in his status as a stopgap arrangement. In that tenure he was happy to be seen as servile, even nonfunctioning.
But with polls just two years away and the law apparently stacked up ag ainst the chances of Jayalalithaa making a quick comeback, OP may have to be seen as more proactive. While Jayalalithaa had introduced several welfare schemes and for a brief period seemed to temper down the power crisis, there is much work left to be done in governance matters before the 2016 polls.
Galloping power demand has already made the new power plants inadequate. No new power capacity is going to be added in the near future, and the scenario of rolling power cuts and long hours of pitch darkness looms. But OP's long years in government should help him. Panneerselvam was a surprise choice when he was chosen to replace Jayalalithaa in 2001.
Starting his career as a tea shop owner, Panneer slowly strengthened his position in the party with the help of former MP and Sasikala's close relative TTV Dinakaran. He was chairman of Periyakulam municipality during 1996-2001 and that was his first elected position. He was elected for the assembly for the first time in 2001 and served as revenue minister when Jayalalithaa was sworn in as CM.
After he stepped down so his leader could take over, Panneerselvam continued to serve in the cabinet handling crucial porfolios such as public works and revenue.
In 2011, he was appointed as finance minister when Jayalalithaa stormed back to power. This year, she gave him additional charge of public works department. He was the number 2 and served as the point person for ministers and senior leaders of the party. As a demonstration of the trust Jayalalithaa has on her lieutenant, party sources cite Jayalalithaa speaking to OP twice during the verdict process. "When the judgment was delayed, Amma came out of the court and had some instructions for Panneer," said a party district secretary.
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