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| O Panneerselvam's shop sells tea at Rs 10 a cup, double the going price, but still has customers flocking to it. |
AIADMK leader O.Panneerselvam and twice chief minister of Tamil Nadu also started his journey as a tea seller, just like Modi.
But unlike the prime minister, O Panneerselvam's tea shop still runs on Theni Road in Periyakulam.
O Panneerselvam started PV tea stall with a partner, Vijayan, four decades ago.
In the '80s he handed it over to his brother O Raja, who renamed it after his daughter Rosie, who tragically died from drowning.
O Panneerselvam joined politics, became a local panchayat head and later, an MLA. The man known as staunch Jayalalithaa loyalist, ironically started his stint in AIADMK supporting her rival MGR's widow Janaki, before switching sides.
Jalayalitha, who has been forced to step down twice - in 2001 and 2014 - due to corruption charges, chose O Panneerselvam to step in as interim CM.
When he is not CM, O Panneerselvam holds powerful portfolios such as Finance or PWD in Jaya governments.
The man, who is often ridiculed for his cringing show of devotion to Jayalalithaa, remembers where he came from and continues to keep the tea shop running.
The Hindu reports that he performs an annual Ayudha Puja at his tea shop and visits it whenever he finds time,
The shop does not have a nameplate but is well known in the area for the strong tea it brews.
The Scroll notes that O Panneerselvam's shop sells tea at Rs 10 a cup, double the going price, but still has customers flocking to it.