Election Commission Questions Sasikala Natarajan’s Elevation As General Secretary

The Election Commission on Wednesday questioned elevation of Sasikala Natarajan as All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) interim General Secretary.

EC has sent a communication to AIADMK asking them to explain what rules of their constitution were followed to appoint the general secretary after certain complaints were raised to EC. However, no deadline has been given to them to explain the matter.

Sasiakala took the top party post after 5-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa passed away on December 5, 2016.

The question from EC comes amid a series of events which saw selection of Sasikala Natarajan as the head of legislative assembly to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

However, O Panneerselvam who had resigned from the Chief Minister’s designation earlier hit out at Sasikala Natarajan on late Tuesday night saying he was forced to resigned from the post.

Talking to TIMES NOW exclusively, O Panneerselvam, acting Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu asserted his dominance as he said, “I am the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.”

Earlier in the morning, the acting chief minister explained that there was no point where he betrayed the party at a press conference at his residence on Wednesday.

Panneerselvam assusred that if the party cadres want him to withdraw, he will take back his resignation. He also said that it was “Amma’s wish that I become the Chief Minister. I always followed her path.”

In the past two days, the suspense over Puratchi Thalaivi’s has intensified. When asked about it, OPS said that he was not even allowed to visit Jayalalithaa during the times she was in the hospital.

“We believed that she will be back. No one was allowed to see her other than Sasikala.” He said that he tried to meet her a plenty of times but in vain.

“The party has a responsibility to clarify the doubts surrounding her death,” OPS said pointing that there must be an enquiry in the matter.

“It is the duty of the government to inquire into the matter. I have recommended an enquiry commission,” he added.

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