AIADMK's succession plan ready? Panneerselvam likely to succeed Jayalalithaa as Tamil Nadu CM

Chennai: Amid grave concerns over Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's deteriorating health, the ruling AIADMK has chalked out a succession plan according to which O Panneerselvam is most likely to succeed her if the ailing leader fails to recover from her illness.

According to News18.com, AIADMK legislators who were summoned at the Apollo Hospitals, have been asked to support O Panneerselvam.

The AIADMK MLAs have been reportedly asked to sign a declaration supporting O Panneerselvam as Jayalalithaa's successor. 

"We have been asked to wait till further information," an AIADMK lawmaker who did not want to be identified by name had said from the Apollo hospital.

The AIADMK legislators have assembled inside a hall in the Apollo complex.

The hospital said on Monday that Jayalalithaa, who suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, was in very critical condition and was on life support system.
 
A brief hospital statement said the AIADMK leader, who suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, "continues to be very critical and is on ECMO and other life support systems".

ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a life support system used for patients with life threatening heart or lung problems. 

Apollo said the 68-year-old Jayalalithaa, who has been in hospital since September, was being treated and closely monitored by experts.

Crowds began to mass outside the hospital from Sunday evening as news that Jayalalithaa had suffered a cardiac arrest spread like wild fire.

"Our doctors are closely monitoring (her) condition and they are trying their very best," tweeted Apollo Hospitals Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy on Sunday. 

She then described the Chief Minister's condition as "critical".

Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao, who has additional charge of Tamil Nadu, visited the hospital on Sunday night.