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.
