Not wise to call Sasikala now: Tamil Nadu governor

Chennai: Tamil Nadu governor C.H. Vidyasagar Rao is understood to have told the Union home ministry that it would not be prudent to call V.K. Sasikala to form the government now in view of the corruption case pending against her in the Supreme Court.

A day after meeting the leaders of the two warring factions at Raj Bhavan, the governor sent his detailed assessment of the “extraordinary situation” in Tamil Nadu to the Centre. The report, according to reliable sources, may have dashed Ms Sasikala’s immediate hopes of being sworn in as chief minister.

It is believed that the governor has also come to the conclusion there should be a reasonable guarantee that a contender, who is not a member of the Assembly, should have the ability to be elected to it within six months of being named as CM.

The governor is likely to await the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Sasikala case, and is in no hurry to invite caretaker chief minister O. Pannerselvam either for a show of strength. The governor is reported to have said in his assessment to the Centre: “Even when there is an iota of doubt about the ability of the person to get elected to the Assembly within six months, Article 164(4) has to be interpreted as a restriction/disqualification as contained in the interpretation of the SC mentioned above.”

The report is said to acknowledge that the “governor is also bound by Constitution to satisfy himself that a person staking claim would form a stable government. In view of the pending judgment in the DPA case, uncertainty exists about the qualification of V.K. Sasikala to become MLA”.  The source who revealed the governor’s thinking and his possible line of action also said pending court cases have been mentioned as an impediment to calling the particular person now.