O.Panneerselvam is once again at the helm. This time, though, he will need more than his loyalty to Jayalalithaa to steer the party and the government.
He is the epitome of loyalty—one who pastes his leader's photo on his briefcase and touches the tyres of her car when she sets out to file her papers to contest elections. In 2001, he took over as interim chief minister of Tamil Nadu after his leader was convicted in a land deal case. It was a surprise promotion—from first time legislator to CM. But he did not hold the office for long. The leader soon returned after winning the appeal, and he stepped aside. He was seen standing behind her, hands folded and head down.
The man is O.Panneerselvam and the leader, J. Jayalalithaa. "I appreciate Panneerselvam for steering the state skillfully," Jayalalithaa said in a press conference after she returned as CM in 2002. Panneerselvam's loyalty was rewarded—he became number two in the cabinet.
He again became chief minister in September 2014, when Jayalalithaa was convicted in a case of having assets disproportionate to her income. This time round, his loyalty was more obvious. Before taking oath as CM, he took out a small photo of Jayalalithaa, kept it on the lectern and wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks with a white handkerchief.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin Oct 30, 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin Oct 30, 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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