All's not over in Tamil Nadu yet: Panneerselvam

Hyderabad Feb 17 : if you believe the Tamil Nadu political drama has seen its end with VK Sasikala proxy Edapaddi Palaniswami being sworn in as the chief minister, you are mistaken. Rebel AIADMK O Panneerselvam has vowed to continue his war against Sasikala.Palaniswami is likely to visit Sasikala, who is lodged at Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, later today.

The newly appointed CM paid a visit to Jayalalithaa's memorial soon after taking oath, moments later Panneerselvam arrived at the Marina Beach on Thursday night.Panneerselvam, who has challenged Sasikala's elevation as AIADMK general secretary before the Election Commission, paid floral tributes at Jaya's memorial and announced that his war against the Sasikala clan would continue.

"It is unfortunate that all those who were disowned by her (Jayalalithaa) are now in charge of the party," Panneerselvam said referring to Sasikala's decision to bring back her nephew TTV Dhinakaran in party. Dhinakaran, who was expelled from AIADMK by Jayalalithaa in 2011, was appointed as party's deputy general secretary just hours before Sasikala surrendered before the special Bengaluru court"The government that has taken charge in Tamil Nadu is Sasikala's proxy and doesn't comprise Amma's true loyalists. Until this government is removed, we will not sleep or rest. The people don't want this government," Panneerselvam added.

A special session of the state Assembly has been called on Saturday (February 18) where Governor Vidyasagar Rao for Palaniswami to prove majority on the floor of the House.Political crisis in Tamil Nadu started after J Jayalalithaa's death on December 5 which triggered a massive succession war within the ruling AIADMK. Jayalalithaa had powered the party to a rare successive term in office in the state in the May, 2016 Assembly polls. She continued on the post through her grim 74-day battle for life.

VK Sasikala watched on television Palaniswami taking oath as the new Chief Minster of Tamil Nadu at Raj Bhavan in Chennai from the Bengaluru jail."Sasikala watched live Palaniswami and 30 lawmakers taking oath as the Chief Minister and Cabinet ministers in the prison's woman barracks, along with her sister-in-law Elavarasi and other inmates," a jail official said.

Sasikala, 60, Elavarasi and her nephew VK Sudhakaran returned to the prison on Wednesday and surrendered to resume the four-year term they were sentenced to after being held guilty of corruption in the 21-year-old illegal assets case.