Tamil Nadu Governor C.Vidyasagar Rao accepted O Panneerselvam's resignation from the post of chief minister on Monday. On Sunday, AIADMK top leaders had decided that Sasikala Natarajan, the acting head of the party, will take over as the chief minister.
Natarajan was a close aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. However, the promotion given to her was opposed by expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa, who alleged that Natarajan had a "criminal background".
"It is condemnable to nominate or invite Sasikala Natarajan to be a Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu due to her criminal background. All criminal cases are pending and (she is) convicted," she wrote in letters to the Governor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, reports said the Supreme Court is likely to pronounce judgement in Jayalalithaa's disproportionate assets case in a week. Natarajan was a co-accused in the case heard by the Bengaluru High Court, which had convicted the duo.
On Monday, two top Tamil Nadu bureaucrats were fired and 23 top leaders were given key positions. Sheela Balakrishnan, adviser to Tamil Nadu government also quit.
The Congress party also opposed the move to elevate Natarajan to the chief ministerial post.
Former union minister P. Chidambaram tweeted "It is the right of AIADMK MLAs to elect their leader. It is the right of the people to ask if the leader deserves to be CM." He further added, "AIADMK and people of Tamil Nadu are now moving in opposite directions."
Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Sasikala Natarajan isn't a primary member of her party. Such people running a government isn't a good message for democracy."
On Sunday, former Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam proposed Natarajan be made the chief minister in the AIADMK meeting. Earlier that day, she was made the leader of the Legislature party.
Sasikala Pushpa had earlier alleged that Natarajan and her family had something to do with Jayalalithaa's death.
