After O.Panneerselvam resigned from the post of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao had accepted his resignation. Now he has asked for a legal opinion on whether or not AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala should be made the Chief Minister. He left for Mumbai on Monday night from Delhi.

According to sources close to the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan, "Mr Rao who was in Coimbatore on Sunday took a direct flight to Delhi and on Monday met with legal pundits before taking a flight to Mumbai."

Previously there were plans to get Ms Sasikala sworn in on Tuesday as originally planned. Sources said, "the Governor was of the opinion that there was no hurry to hold the swearing-in of Ms Sasikala on Tuesday as he had not extended an invitation based on the AIADMK Legislature Party communiqué to him that they had elected her as their leader."

“The Governor while accepting the resignation of Mr O. Panneerselvam had specifically asked him to continue as caretaker Chief Minister till alternative arrangements are made. This means Mr Panneerselvam and his ministry will continue for some more days before the Governor forms his opinion on the AIADMK Legislature Party resolution,” a source told this newspaper.

Sources said, "the Governor wanted to wait till the verdict of the Supreme Court, expected next week, on whether Ms Sasikala, a close aide of the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, was guilty of corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in the 21-year-old Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case."

Panneerselvam Resigns from CM's Post, Sasikala to Likely to Become New CM

BY M. DIVYA SRI