Is Sasikala the next Tamil Nadu CM?

"MGR Vazhga, Amma Vazhga, Chinnamma Vazhga (long live MGR, long live Amma, long live Chinnamma).”

The scene outside the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah on MGR's 100th birthday celebrations (January 17) was nothing short of electrifying. Thousands of cadres carrying banners and posters of MGR, Amma and Chinnamma gathered hours before the arrival of their leaders. Screaming slogans, the crowd was getting ready to pay obeisance to their new leader.

"After Amma, there is none other than Chinnamma (mother’s younger sister)," claims a party cadre.

Soon after the death of J Jayalalithaa, the message was loud and clear — O Paneerselvam was sworn in as chief minister of the state but the real power rested with Sasikala, Amma’s closest aide. The next few days witnessed a series of regular visits by senior ministers in the state, including Paneerselvam, to request Sasikala to “accept” the top post in the party.

But after she was named the party general secretary, the next demand was to name her as the chief minister.

Chinnamma, they believe, will do what is best for the people.

Meanwhile, the DMK is closely watching the developments. Party spokesperson A Saravanan says, "We have a CM who is running the state. Whatever criticisms are against him will have to be raised in an appropriate forum. Ministers who are in his cabinet are forgetting the collective responsibility of the party.”

Saravanan is very sure that they (the ministers) want someone else as the CM. “Even if they want someone else, the first thing they ought to do is resign from their posts and say I don't want to be under this CM… elect someone who they want."The same message resonates in the BJP. Narayanan Thirupathy, BJP spokesperson, says "The AIADMK has the numbers but if they try to stifle this (Paneerselvam) government and change the ‘God’, many within the party will not like it.”

And not everyone, he says, worships Sasikala. “The general council members might want her to become the CM but I don't think they will take this step even though there are strong rumours." While rumour mills are churning at full speed about an impending power shift in the party, Sasikala is the first general secretary who is not the CM.

It is believed that the fear of a backlash from a “significant few” within the party is the only thing holding her back from taking over the reins. But how long can she wait, is the big question.

Also read: Why Stalin has an edge over Sasikala in Jayalalithaa's Tamil Nadu