Media up in arms over Sasikala's likely elevation as Tamil Nadu CM

Several national and regional media houses have covered Sasikala in a less than flattering manner

Top dailies, including The Hindu, Times of India and Dinamalar, seem to be against Sasikala taking over as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

The Hindu's editorial titled 'Backroom to the front-stage' said that Sasikala is known for backroom manoeuvres. "Evidently, V K Sasikala couldn't bear to wait any longer. After the death of Jayalalithaa in December, Ms Sasikala, known for her backroom manoeuvres, first stage-managed her election as the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) general secretary, and now as the legislature party leader. Without ever having run for public office, she is at this point no more than a ceremonial step away from becoming the chief minister."

"..he (O Panneerselvam) is far more acceptable as chief minister than Ms Sasikala, who is not regarded as the natural successor to Jayalalithaa by a large section of the public, and the AIADMK rank and file. Ms Sasikala should have displayed the virtues of patience and waited for the courts to clear her before making this move," the Hindu editorial further said.

The editorial concluded by saying that "by awkwardly forcing her way to the top, Ms Sasikala risks weakening the party and inviting popular resistance".

A cartoon piece in The Times of India shows AIADMK with its supremo as a ship in the sea, and democracy as a turtle.

It depicts that when Jayalalithaa was leading the ship, the turtle in the sea was alive and kicking, as opposed to the ship now leaking oil into the sea under Sasikala and the turtle dead on the shores.

The picture draws an analogy from the recent mishap off the coast of Chennai, where a collision between two ships caused an oil spill that affected the natural habitat in the coastal sea.

One of the largest Tamil dailies, Dinamalar, which has been against Sasikala from day one, said AIADMK was all set to split, as 40 members of the legislative Assembly (MLAs) who didn't want Sasikala to become chief minister were expected to vote against her at the Assembly when she would be asked to show her majority. The report further said that these MLAs would be backing the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam, which might end up forming the government.

Tuglak, a magazine edited by S Gurumurthy, a chartered accountant and leader of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, in its latest edition mocks Sasikala in a cartoon in which she is taking oath in the name of criminal cases against her. In the cartoon, her likeness is seen swearing that she would not reveal the secrets of the government to anybody other than the Mannargudi family.

An online survey conducted by leading Tamil magazine Nakkeeran said that almost 90 per cent of those who voted think that Sasikala taking over as the chief minister is against the verdict of the people, while seven per cent think that it is an internal matter of the AIADMK and three per cent think that it is a legitimate decision.

An online petition to President Pranab Mukherjee in the online platform Change.org, seeking to dissolve Tamil Nadu government and stop Sasikala from becoming the state's chief minister, had bagged 1,49,356 supporters till Tuesday morning.