Left hauls TN Guv for 'deliberately delaying' Govt. formation

Emphasizing on the political instability spreading in Tamil Nadu due to Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao's 'delay in actions', the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Central government is trying to fish in the troubled water in the political crisis state.

"There has been strong apprehension and it has been articulated by different sections of Tamil Nadu and political parties that Governor is not taking the decision deliberately. The BJP and the Central government are trying to fish in the troubled water in the state of Tamil Nadu now," CPI leader D Raja told ANI.

Rao heard competing pitches on Wednesday night from within the ruling party of Tamil Nadu over who should be Chief Minister.

The Governor met first with E. Palanisamy, who claimed the support of 125 state legislators on MLAS. Next up was O. Panneerselvam, currently acting Chief Minister, who says he has 11 MLAs.

Both want to take a trust vote in the legislature and presented the Governor with a list of legislators supporting them.

Setting aside on earlier Karnataka High Court order, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted Sasikala in connection with a 19-year old disproportionate assets case.

She has been ordered to surrender to the law enforcement authorities immediately to serve the remainder of her four-year jail term.

She also will not be able to contest elections for 10 years or hold public office.

The verdict comes in the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle within the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu - between Sasikala and the incumbent Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.

The pending disproportionate assets case that posed a legal hurdle against Sasikala's taking over as the Chief Minister dates back to 1996. Late J. Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her two relatives, Ilavarasi and Sudhagaran, were convicted in the case that alleged that the former chief minister owned assets far exceeding her known sources of income.