O. Panneerselvam, the man whose most notable quality was his unswerving loyalty to Jayalalithaa, reveals a steely side by challenging the leadership of V.K. Sasikala. Whoever wins this contest, it is clear that Tamil Nadu is heading for political uncertainty.
A LITTLE AFTER 8:30 P.M. ON FEBRUARY 7, when Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam emerged out of “Thenpennai”, his official residence located off Greenways Road in Chennai and hopped into his official vehicle, no one had any idea where he was headed. His head of security had already left, after he was told that there was nothing else to do for the day. He had told his staff that he might head to Poes Garden, the residence of the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, if V.K. Sasikala, its current occupant, asked to see him.
Panneerselvam, taking a leaf out of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch M. Karunanidhi’s book, misled his security staff about where he was headed. This strategy of not revealing the destination or giving misleading information about it was central to Karunanidhi’s practical approach to handling everyday politics. Surprise has its uses, he once told this correspondent, after a short-lived fast at the Anna Samadhi on the Marina in early 2009; it attracts eyeballs, throws opponents off guard—even if only for a few hours—and has the potential to significantly alter outcomes.
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