CHENNAI: Going by a government calendar for the year 2017, O
Panneerselvam's position in the chief minister's post appears firm, at
least for now. The calendar, quietly released to top secretaries on
Tuesday, has photographs of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa,
prominently displayed in the upper portion. Going by protocol, the
calendar has pictures of chief minister OPS too.
For the AIADMK government, the face of governance is Jayalalithaa and she will continue to remain so. This is evident in the calendar, which is full of the former CM's photographs from the month January to December 2017. The release of the calendar by the information and public relations department was delayed against the backdrop of speculation that there would be a change of guard, sources told TOI. "But, the state stuck to protocol using pictures of the chief minister," said a senior official, seeking anonymity.
The delay in releasing the calendar was attributed to the growing demand in AIADMK that its general secretary V K Sasikala should also take over the reins of administration.
Barring a photograph of him paying floral tributes to a portrait of Jayalalithaa, Panneerselvam is either accompanying the former CM or his cabinet colleagues in the pictures in the calendar. The only exceptions are pictures of his meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to present a memorandum and Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. Besides, there are photographs of Panneerselvam and ministers at relief centres in the wake of Cyclone Vardah. One leaf of the calendar has a picture of Jayalalithaa chairing a cabinet meeting, and another of Panneerselvam doing the same.
The photographs of Jayalalithaa are accompanied by the caption "Manpumigu Amma (Honourable Amma)" and show her launching the metro rail services between Koyambedu and Alandur, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of phase I extension between Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar in Tiruvottiyur, a month before her hospitalization. There are also images of the late CM either speaking on the floor of House and with differently-abled kids.
Pictures showing her launching government programmes through video conferencing also include ministers Edappadi K Palaniswami, S P Velumani and Sellur K Raju. "Some 75,000 government offices across TN will be getting the calendars in the coming days," sources said. The corridors of power are, however, still abuzz with talk of Sasikala being sworn in as CM. Her supporters, including deputy speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai, urged her to become CM, as they believed that "the party and government should be in one hand "
For the AIADMK government, the face of governance is Jayalalithaa and she will continue to remain so. This is evident in the calendar, which is full of the former CM's photographs from the month January to December 2017. The release of the calendar by the information and public relations department was delayed against the backdrop of speculation that there would be a change of guard, sources told TOI. "But, the state stuck to protocol using pictures of the chief minister," said a senior official, seeking anonymity.
The delay in releasing the calendar was attributed to the growing demand in AIADMK that its general secretary V K Sasikala should also take over the reins of administration.
Barring a photograph of him paying floral tributes to a portrait of Jayalalithaa, Panneerselvam is either accompanying the former CM or his cabinet colleagues in the pictures in the calendar. The only exceptions are pictures of his meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to present a memorandum and Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. Besides, there are photographs of Panneerselvam and ministers at relief centres in the wake of Cyclone Vardah. One leaf of the calendar has a picture of Jayalalithaa chairing a cabinet meeting, and another of Panneerselvam doing the same.
The photographs of Jayalalithaa are accompanied by the caption "Manpumigu Amma (Honourable Amma)" and show her launching the metro rail services between Koyambedu and Alandur, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of phase I extension between Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar in Tiruvottiyur, a month before her hospitalization. There are also images of the late CM either speaking on the floor of House and with differently-abled kids.
Pictures showing her launching government programmes through video conferencing also include ministers Edappadi K Palaniswami, S P Velumani and Sellur K Raju. "Some 75,000 government offices across TN will be getting the calendars in the coming days," sources said. The corridors of power are, however, still abuzz with talk of Sasikala being sworn in as CM. Her supporters, including deputy speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai, urged her to become CM, as they believed that "the party and government should be in one hand "
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