Opposition Leader’s advice to incumbent Chief Minister Palanisamy

Palanisamy would seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly on Saturday to prove his majority as per the advice of the Governor. Talking to reporters here, Stalin warned the new Chief Minister against smiling at him. 

His advisory assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala remarks that Palanisamy’s predecessor O Panneerselvam had smiled at him during the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address, and cited it as one of the reasons for his sacking. Sasikala had said that when DMK member Duraimurugan showered praise on Panneerselvam, he did not react or oppose it and it showed that he was conniving with the DMK. 

‘’Hence, I decided to become CM...If Panneerselvam had opposed it, I would have allowed him to continue as CM,” she had said, on the reason for his resignation. Sasikala also accused the DMK of conspiring with Panneerselvam to divide the AIADMK.  Reacting to it, Panneerselvam said ‘’only human beings can laugh, not animals.” 

His lighter moment (sharing laughs) with Stalin in the Assembly could not be construed as a major offence, he contended. Stalin also described as ‘strange,’ Sasikala’s remarks that Panneerselvam was sacked as AIADMK Treasurer for sharing a lighter moment with him in the Assembly. 

Terming it as part of DMK’s political decency adopted both inside and outside the House, he said he had also exchanged pleasantries with former CM J Jayalalithaa and recalled the bonhomie between the two parties that included his participation in her swearing in ceremony in May last year, his visit to the hospital and later her funeral.