Ministers meet TN governor to discuss work

Meeting comes amid buzz that an interim CM may be appointed matters while Jayalalithaa is in hospital

Tamil Nadu Governor Vidya Sagar Rao on Friday held discussions with senior state ministers and the chief secretary to ask about the health of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and take stock of administrative affairs in the state.

Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised since September 22.

Rao asked about arrangements made for the visit of the high-level technical committee on the Cauvery water issue constituted by the Union government and about information to be presented to the panel to protect the interests of the state’s farmers. A press release from Raj Bhavan said minister for finance O Panneerselvam, minister for public works, highways and minor ports Edappadi K Palanisamy and chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao visited the governor on Friday evening.

The chief secretary briefed the governor about work being carried out on a day-to-day basis and other general matters, the release said.

The meetings come at a time when there is speculation the state could get an interim chief minister because Apollo Hospitals has said Jayalalithaa needs to be hospitalised for longer.

The visits by the ministers and the chief secretary at Raj Bhavan were triggered by speculation on social media of such a decision being taken.

P Rama Mohana Rao called on the Governor in the afternoon for a meeting that lasted 35 minutes. Later in the evening, the chief secretary accompanied the two ministers to the governor’s house for another meeting, which went on for 20 minutes, according to reports.