One does feel sorry for O Paneerselvam. The man has
been chief minister of Tamil Nadu thrice and on all occasions
he was just a stop-gap arrangement. On Sunday,
he stepped down after being in the chair for a month to make
way for V K Sasikala who was elected as head of the AIADMK
legislature party. The new chief minister is not new to power
politics, having learnt the ins and outs of this ruthless game
at the side of Jayalalithaa. From being the owner of a video
rental shop to the top post in the State, the journey has been
fraught with problems. Even though she is due to be sworn in
on Thursday, Sasikala has many cases against her and the road
to clearing her name is likely to be hard. She was convicted in a
disproportionate assets case along with Jayalalithaa and the final
verdict of the Supreme Court is due not later than May 2017.
Her political future rests on first clearing her name, but the real
test will come during the next election. Will she be as adept as
her mentor in gaining the confidence of the people? Can she
win an election? This is the real test of a political leader and
Sasikala will have to prove herself or sink.
