Palaniswami must take all factions along
With Edappadi K Palaniswami sworn in as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the political uncertainty in the State has finally ended. The new Chief Minister has to prove his majority on the floor of the House in 15 days; going by the numbers he has today, this should be a breeze. But politics apart, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao must be complimented for handling the issue with sagacity. He had not rushed in to swear in VK Sasikala although she commanded the support of a majority of the AIADMK's legislators, choosing instead to wait for the Supreme Court's verdict on a case against her. Had the verdict not been expected soon, he would probably have invited her to form the Government. As it turned out, Sasikala's conviction by a trial court in a 19-year old case of disproportionate assets was upheld by the apex court. She thereafter stood disqualified to hold any public position for 10 years. Meanwhile, the AIADMK legislators elected Palaniswami after Sasikala's conviction. O Panneerselvam is understandably unhappy with the invite to Sasikala's nominee, but the Governor has gone by the constitutional requirements. The internal wrangling within the AIADMK is for party leaders to sort out. Panneerselvam has taken Sasikala's elevation as party general secretary to the Election Commission of India, claiming that she had been chosen in violation of the party's by-laws. let the poll panel decide. But Government formation is a different matter. The Governor was reasonably satisfied with Palaniswami's claim of having the larger support and thus invited him to form the Government. If Panneerselvam believes that the MlAs who have owed allegiance to Sasikala (and now by extension to Palaniswami) have done it under duress, he needs to prove it.
Now that Sasikala is out of the way (incarcerated in a prison in Karnataka), the Panneerselvam camp can try convincing the MlAs to back him. Again, those are political issues and the likes of Panneerselvam and Palaniswami can slug it out. For now, Tamil Nadu needs a stable and functional Government. Ever since J Jayalalithaa's death, indeed since she was hospitalised, the State's administration had virtually ceased to function effectively. Although Panneerselvam had been anointed as the Chief Minister, it was popularly believed that he was a stop-gap arrangement and that once Jayalalithaa was back, he would vacate the chair. Unfortunately, Jayalalithaa’s return was not to be.
The political story, though, is unlikely to end here. The State may finally have had a Government, but the AIADMK is at a crossroads. If the two rival camps continue to clash, the possibility of some sort of split cannot be ruled out. This would of course be disastrous for the party and a boon to its principal rival, the DMK. Besides, if Panneerselvam indulges in brinkmanship, he is not going to get stronger; indeed he will need outside support to destabilise the Palaniswami regime — and such support generally comes with strings attached. The former Chief Minister's sense of disappointment is understandable, but he should not destroy a party which his leader Jayalalithaa nourished, in good times and bad. The advice holds good for Chief Minister Palaniswami too.