C Vidyasagar Rao completes a tumultuous year as governor
Sivakumar B| TNN | Sep 3, 2017, 09:04 IST
Rao once again played a key role in averting a political crisis, which could have engulfed the state following the death of Jayalalithaa, by swearing in a cabinet headed by Panneerselvam as CM on December 5 midnight. Panneerselvam did not survive as CM for long as V K Sasikala set her eyes on the CM chair.Despite heavy pressure, Rao stood his ground by not swearing in Sasikala as CM when the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against her was expected soon. Also, despite the OPS faction hobnobbing with the BJP , which is in power at the Centre, Rao did not allow Panneerselvam to withdraw his resignation ei ther. Finally , the SC verdict justified his stand on Sasikala. As Sasikala went to jail, Rao administered oath of office and secrecy to Edappadi K Palaniswami as CM.
The governor spent less than 100 days in Chennai during the year as his presence was warranted more in Mumbai, seat of his principal assignment. Still, he was available here whenever TN plunged into crisis. The government's stability is once again facing a question mark now. Opposition party leaders and rebel MLAs of the ruling party have been making repeated visits to the Raj Bhavan in recent times demanding that the chief minister be told to face a trust vote.
"There is no government as such in Tamil Nadu. Chief minister Palaniswami has no time for governance as he is busy with party problems.When such is the situation, if we had a permanent governor in the state, the bureaucracy at least would have worked smoothly ," DMK Rajya Sabha MP T K S Elangovan said.
A governor's visit is not at all news in other states, but in Tamil Nadu, the moment Rao lands at the airport, all channels start tracking him.
The last time Tamil Nadu had a governor holding additional charge was in 2001 when C Rangarajan assumed office. He was a full time governor of Andhra Pradesh, but held additional charge of Tamil Nadu for a few days after M Fathima Beevi resigned.
Sivakumar B| TNN | Sep 3, 2017, 09:04 IST
When C Vidyasagar Rao took charge as Tamil Nadu governor on September 2, 2016, J Jayalalithaa was the chief mi... Read More
CHENNAI: Holding additional charge, Tamil Nadu governor C Vidyasagar Rao has completed an eventful year in the state. Soon after he assumed office on September 2, 2016, the state plunged into chaos with the hospitalization of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The state went virtually without a chief minister for more than two weeks as Jayalalithaa remained out of action. Sensing the need of the hour, Rao, sources said, asked the AIADMK top brass to identify a leader who would steer the government till Jayalalithaa recovered. Finally, finance minister O Panneerselvam was given charge of all portfolios that Jayalalithaa held. He was not designated chief minister though.
CHENNAI: Holding additional charge, Tamil Nadu governor C Vidyasagar Rao has completed an eventful year in the state. Soon after he assumed office on September 2, 2016, the state plunged into chaos with the hospitalization of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The state went virtually without a chief minister for more than two weeks as Jayalalithaa remained out of action. Sensing the need of the hour, Rao, sources said, asked the AIADMK top brass to identify a leader who would steer the government till Jayalalithaa recovered. Finally, finance minister O Panneerselvam was given charge of all portfolios that Jayalalithaa held. He was not designated chief minister though.
Rao once again played a key role in averting a political crisis, which could have engulfed the state following the death of Jayalalithaa, by swearing in a cabinet headed by Panneerselvam as CM on December 5 midnight. Panneerselvam did not survive as CM for long as V K Sasikala set her eyes on the CM chair.Despite heavy pressure, Rao stood his ground by not swearing in Sasikala as CM when the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against her was expected soon. Also, despite the OPS faction hobnobbing with the BJP , which is in power at the Centre, Rao did not allow Panneerselvam to withdraw his resignation ei ther. Finally , the SC verdict justified his stand on Sasikala. As Sasikala went to jail, Rao administered oath of office and secrecy to Edappadi K Palaniswami as CM.
The governor spent less than 100 days in Chennai during the year as his presence was warranted more in Mumbai, seat of his principal assignment. Still, he was available here whenever TN plunged into crisis. The government's stability is once again facing a question mark now. Opposition party leaders and rebel MLAs of the ruling party have been making repeated visits to the Raj Bhavan in recent times demanding that the chief minister be told to face a trust vote.
"There is no government as such in Tamil Nadu. Chief minister Palaniswami has no time for governance as he is busy with party problems.When such is the situation, if we had a permanent governor in the state, the bureaucracy at least would have worked smoothly ," DMK Rajya Sabha MP T K S Elangovan said.
A governor's visit is not at all news in other states, but in Tamil Nadu, the moment Rao lands at the airport, all channels start tracking him.
The last time Tamil Nadu had a governor holding additional charge was in 2001 when C Rangarajan assumed office. He was a full time governor of Andhra Pradesh, but held additional charge of Tamil Nadu for a few days after M Fathima Beevi resigned.
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