VK Sasikala, who was sentenced to four years in jail in Chennai and Bengaluru, has not yet set foot in Tamil Nadu. It is clear and strong- ‘There is no political exile. The party is ready to take over. With the Assembly elections looming, the AIADMK has been waiting for many days. By the time Chinnamma arrives after a week of home quarantine, the political landscape in Tamil Nadu will still be changing.
In the same car used by Jayalalithaa, Shashikala, who was flying the AIADMK flag, conveyed a clear message to the party ranks and file. The message to the rank and file is that he is Jayalalithaa’s political successor. The warning to the leadership is to be prepared for compromise, or to prepare for battle. When TTV Dinakaran’s mother, who was expelled from the AIADMK, formed the Makkal Munnetha Kazhagam, its general secretary was VK Sasikala. However, they were later replaced by Dinakaran as General Secretary.
The change is thought to have been made in the opinion of legal experts. After Jayalalithaa’s death, the party’s general council unanimously elected Shashikala as general secretary. Later, the OPS raised the riot flag. Edappadi became the Chief Minister. Shashikala was jailed. With this, Shashikala came out when the BJP-mediated OPS and EPS merged.
A General Council meeting convened in September 2017 removed Shashikala from the post of General Secretary. The post of General Secretary has been set aside in honor of Jayalalithaa. The party brought a new system of governance. However, Shashikala had approached the High Court seeking that the General Council meeting should be convened by the General Secretary and that the General Council meeting which he had unknowingly called should be canceled. The petition is still pending. Shashikala goes on to say that she is still the General Secretary by tying the flag of the AIADMK on her car. Dinakaran said it openly. The AIADMK had claimed in its front page yesterday that the AIADMK, led by Shashikala, would recover. Today’s ‘flag hoisting’ is a continuation of that.
Shashikala is scheduled to visit Jayalalithaa’s Samadhi in Chennai next week. Will he then visit the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah? Posters in support of Sasikala are appearing all over the state. Can leaders publicly declare support for the next step? With the arrival of Shashikala, the curtain rises on another political drama in Tamil Nadu.
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