Several senior AIADMK functionaries on Sunday requested Sasikala Natarajan, former chief minister Jayalalithaa's trusted aide, to take over as the chief minister of the state and also head the party.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai had requested Natarajan to become the general secretary of the AIADMK following Jayalalithaa's death on December 5. The late chief minister had held that post all her life.
AIADMK wing Jayalalithaa Peravai passed a resolution on Sunday urging Natarajan to become the general secretary of the ruling party as well as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The state's Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar handed over the resolution to Natarajan on Sunday. The resolution, supported by 50 members of Peravai, was titled "Thai Thanta Varam," (Sasikala is a boon granted by Amma), NDTV reported.
"Besides guarding AIADMK, Chinnamma should fight the RK Nagar bypoll (now vacant due to the death of Jayalalithaa) and assume responsibility as chief minister, and lead the Amma's government," Udhayakumar told reporters. RK Nagar was Jayalalithaa's constituency in Chennai.
The AIADMK cadres also made a similar demand.
Housing Minister Udumalai K Radhakrishnan said: "We requested Chinnamma to guard 1.5 crore AIADMK workers by becoming the party General Secretary and the over seven crore people of Tamil Nadu by becoming Chief Minister."
Senior leaders and party cadres of the AIADMK went to Jayalalithaa's residence Poes Garden where Natarajan now resides and handed over the resolution to her.
