In what is seen as growing support for O. Panneerselvam in social media forums, even as he is sidelined by the AIADMK establishment, citizens and netizens have come to his rescue with an active social media campaign to promote his candidature to retain the Chief Minister position.

An appeal is being made to citizens by fellow citizens to send SMS and WhatsApp messages to AIADMK MLAs not to support the candidacy of V.K. Sasikala for the post of Chief Minister and instead support Panneerselvam.

While releasing the exhaustive list of all the MLAs and the 134 constituencies that they represent, the social media-savvy common man is sharing and asking his fellow citizens to support the candidacy of Panneerselvam in the larger interests of the people of Tamil Nadu.

A message which was sent to one of the AIADMK MLAs read thus: “We voted only for the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa; when she is no more it is logical to support the candidature of O. Panneerselvam who was blessed by the late leader. As the people’s elected representatives, you must respect the interests of the voting public. If you fail to do so, we will shun you at the right time.”

In a scenario where 130 AIADMK MLAs have pledged support to Sasikala in the urgently convened MLAs meet, this message shows how the issue of succession to Jayalalithaa’s legacy has affected the common man.

Whether the MLAs, who have been bussed to a star hotel near the Chennai airport to keep Sasikala’s support base intact by her managers, would respond to this positively is another question.

In the mean while in an online poll conducted by a leading Tamil daily,”Whether O. Panneerselvam should continue as CM?” a good 1,28,265 have voted in favour of his continuation as CM while a minuscule 262 persons have voted against him.