MK Stalin Has Advice For The New Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami On Remote-Controlling

Chennai: Main opposition party DMK's M K Stalin has congratulated new Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and has offered a word of advice - "Don't be a remote-controlled Chief Minister." The reference is to AIADMK chief VK Sasikala, dispatched yesterday to a jail in Bengaluru for four years in a corruption case by the Supreme Court. Mr Palaniswami's election to head the government was presided over by the party chief before she left Chennai and he is seen as Ms Sasikala's proxy after her plan to be chief minister was crushed by her conviction.

It was also a reference to the last time the ruling party's chief was jailed in Bengaluru. When J Jayalalithaa was imprisoned in 2014, O Panneerselvam, who stood in for her as chief minister, made frequent trips to the Bengaluru jail to consult her.

Mr Stalin, who is also the leader of opposition in the state assembly, said Mr Palaniswami must not "seek consultations from the Bengaluru prison," and must ensure that "the oath of office and secrecy he has taken today, according to the Constitution, is not infringed upon."

The DMK leader has earlier criticised what he called a "total paralysis of administration in Tamil Nadu for nine months" since former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and the sole power centre then of the ruling party was hospitalised in September last year.

She died in December and Mr Panneerselvam, twice picked by her to take her place when he had to resign over corruption cases, took oath a third time. But barely two months into the term he had to step down to facilitate the planned take over by Ms Sasikala.

Mr Panneerselvam rebelled days later and challenged Ms Sasikala for the top post.

Ms Sasikala's swift move to ensure Mr Palaniswami as chief minister and the appointment of her nephew TTV Dinakaran as the deputy chief of the AIADMK is seen to mean that she plans to run both the party and the government from jail.

Mr Stalin said Mr Palaniswami must not be influenced by "any power centre here or in Bengaluru," a reference to Mr Dinakaran.

(with inputs from PTI)