Sasikala to take over as Tamil Nadu CM? AIADMK to meet on Sunday

Chennai: VK Sasikala Natrajan, the former aide of J Jayalalithaa, may take over as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, according to several media reports. 

A CNN-News 18 report said that the decision with regard to Sasikala's elevation would be taken at a meeting of AIADMK MLAs that has been scheduled to take place in Chennai on Sunday.

After the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death on December 8 last year, Sasikala was unanimously named general secretary of the party at the AIADMK’s general council meeting in Chennai. 

On Friday, Sasikala sought to quell dissent within her party and strengthen her position with senior party leaders by appointing 13 organising secretaries for the party, a TOI report asserted. 

According to another report, Tamil Nadu current Chief Minister O Paneerselvam removed three top officials appointed by J Jayalalithaa from the chief minister's office, apparently to make way for Sasikala Natrajan to the key post. 

Top leaders of AIADMK in the past have demanded that Natarajan take over from O Panneerselvam as 'it's unwise for the party and government to have separate power centres.'

Earlier, there were media speculations that Sasikala would take over as state Chief Minister by January end but the change in power was delayed because of the massive protests held in Tamil Nadu over the Jallikattu ban.