CHENNAI: As the day was drawing to close with caretaker Chief Minister O Pannerselvam’s camp gaining no new supporters, there was a dramatic turn of events as AIADMK Madurai (South) MLA S S Saravanan jumped over from the Sasikala camp, and claimed that he escaped the private resort in Koovathur in disguise, where he had been humiliated mentally and physically.
Saravanan and Lok Sabha member from Madurai R Gopalakrishnan arrived at Pannerselvam’s residence on Greenway’s Road minutes after the Chief Minister returned from the Secretariat where he had headed for a meet with senior bureaucrats.
With this, the total number of MLAs and MPs supporting Pannerselvam shot up to eight and 12 respectively.
Addressing the press after switching sides, Saravanan said he was insulted and humiliated physically and mentally during his five-day stay at Koovathur. He said he had meticulously planned to sneak away in disguise before Sasikala reached there in the afternoon.
“When a kitten like me can escape, I am sure other cubs will come out and join hands with Pannerselvam soon,” he said to cheers from the caretaker chief minister’s supporters.
Madurai MP Gopalakrishnan appreciated the support from the public that Panneerselvam enjoyed and noted that it was the same youths who strove for the success of the jallikattu agitation that had thrown their weight behind the chief minister, who had been chosen by the late party chief J Jayalalithaa to lead the party and government after her.
“AIADMK has always had leaders whom all the cadres unanimously elected and Panneerselvam who symbolises trust is the right person to head us now,” he added.
Panneerselvam and other AIADMK leaders in his camp, including E Madhusoodhanan and K P Munusamy who had states that their gates were open for the public and press to question them at any point of time, however, refused to entertain any questions from reporters after the escaped MLA and MP had had their say.
The Panneerselvam which was bolstered by the arrival of School Education Minister K Pandiarajan on Sunday was more lively on Monday morning with supporters from as far as Bodinayakkanur and Periyakulam in Theni in south Tamil Nadu thronging ‘Thenpennai’, Panneerselvam’s residence.
Earlier, before Panneerselvam left for the Secretariat, V Ponraj, former scientific adviser to late President APJ Abdul Kalam extended his support. “We need to decide between family politics and honest politics,” he said. Few other former legislators including former AIADMK minister P Mohan also joined the OPS camp.