Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai on Monday called for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary Sasikala Natarajan to be made Tamil Nadu chief minister with immediate effect. In a statement to the press, Thambidurai said Natarajan’s speech at her swearing-in had affirmed the AIADMK’s confidence in her ability to think like former state chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who died last month.

Thambidurai said Natarajan had rescued the party from the uncertainty about its future after Jayalalithaa’s death. The AIADMK has “unshakeable faith and confidence” in Natarajan’s ability to carry forward the welfare schemes initiated by Jayalalithaa, he added. He said the party’s general secretary and chief minister needed to be the same person in order to “avoid conflict”.

“At the same time, we have seen that people in India have not accepted the situation where the leadership of the party is in one hand and the leadership of the government is in another,” the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker said, adding that the best way to fulfil election promises was to give control of the party and the government to one person.

Thambidurai’s statement came a day after three Tamil Nadu ministers including Revenue Minister RB Uthayaumar demanded that Natarajan take over from current Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Deccan Chronicle reported. The three ministers said making Natarajan the state’s chief minister would fulfil the “dreams and wishes of 1.5 crore AIADMK members”. Information and Publicity Minister K Raju said the AIADMK “has always practised the rule of handing over both responsibilities [party chief and state chief minister] to the same person”.

The potential appointment will see Natarajan consolidate her hold over both the government and the AIADMK. On Saturday, the party general secretary had said she would “follow the path shown by our Amma [Jayalalithaa]”. “Amma is not with us now, but our party will rule here for the next 100 years.” The AIADMK had announced on December 15 that it would appoint Natarajan to the top post. Party spokesperson Ponnaiyan had said, “It is the desire of the entire party. Sasikala has functioned as the conscience of Amma [Jayalalithaa].”