'People will decide whether election of CM was valid or not'

Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said people of the state would decide whether the victory of the Palanisami government in the trust vote today was “valid or not.”

“People of Tamil Nadu will decide whether the resolution passed today (electing Edappadi K Palanisami) in the Assembly is valid or not,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.

The Palaniswami government today won the confidence vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly by a comfortable 122-11 margin after high drama and bedlam in the House.

Panneerselvam said his struggle would continue until late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa’s rule was formed in the state. He said his supporters had made two requests to Speaker P Dhanapal which were turned down by the latter.

The first was to allow AIADMK MLAs (staying in a resort) to visit their respective constituencies and then hold the Assembly session for the confidence vote. “But he (Dhanapal) did not accept it. Second request was to conduct the secret ballot vote which again he did not agree to,” Pannerselvam said.

Expressing sympathies to DMK MLAs who were forcibly evicted from the Assembly, the former CM said, “It is against democracy and the resolution was passed after they were evicted from the Assembly.” 

On the appointment of AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala’s family members to top party posts, Pannerselvam said “if Jayalalihaa was alive, she would have continued to ensure that they did not have any access to the party.” “Today the fight is between the followers of Amma and Sasikala. The team led by Amma (Jayalalithaa) will win…. definitely,” he added.

Sitting MLA Semmalai, who was appointed as the party whip by the O Panneerselvam camp said, “The battle is over and the war has just begun.”