It has been four days since VK Sasikala, a former aide to late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, returned to Chennai after serving a four-year jail term in Bangalore in connection with a disproportionate asset case. The former AIADMK General Secretary has not come out of the palatial house of her niece Krishnaveni at T-Nagar in Chennai where she is staying as of now.
There is no information of her meeting any senior AIADMK leaders or persons close to the party leadership. Throughout her 23-hour journey from Bangalore to Chennai, Sasikala told her cadre about the need to defeat the DMK. The party camp led by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has not reacted to her call, while D Jayakumar, the Fisheries Minister and spokesman of the Tamil Nadu Government, stressed that there was no space for the Mannargudi family in the AIADMK.
It is learned from sources close to Sasikala that her top priority would be to retrieve the post of general secretary of the AIADMK before the Assembly election.
Sasikala’s contention is that her removal from the post of general secretary of the AIADMK was against the party constitution. She was axed as the general secretary of the AIADMK in a specially-convened general council meeting of the party held in September 2017. TTV Dhinakaran, who had been authorised by Sasikala to run the party in her absence had said that the general council of the AIADMK could be convened only by the general secretary and the meeting held in September 2017 was illegal.
Sendur Pandian, lawyer of Sasikala, had said that the case would be taken up at the earliest to get a court order favouring her return as the general secretary of the AIADMK.
“Once she wins the case, the AIADMK cadre would come and fall at her feet. Moreover, Palaniswami is about to face the biggest challenge in his life now. The selection of candidates for the upcoming election would be a tough task for the present leadership of the party,” said Govindarajan Satyamurti, veteran scribe and commentator.
According to Satyamurti, there are many among the present lot of MLAs and Ministers who owe their position to Chinnamma, as Sasikala is addressed in the party circle. “She will strike when Palaniswami is down and out. If Palaniswami fails to win this Assembly election, we will not hear of him again,” said Satyamurti.
But Kolahala Srenivasan, an expert in AIADMK affairs since the days of party founder MGR, is of the view that Sasikala may not succeed in her attempts to dethrone Palaniswamy.
“The Election Commission of India, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in their verdicts have made it clear that status-quo would continue till the Madras High Court disposes of the petition filed by Sasikala. When will the court pronounce the verdict is anybody’s guess. But there is no illegality in the removal of Sasikala and expulsion of Dhinakaran from the party,” said Srenivasan.
He pointed out that local media like Dinamalar are full of news about how the AMMK leadership spent Rs 190 crore for arranging the 23-hour roadshow from Bangalore to Chennai as part of Sasikala’s return to the capital city.
“Not even a single district secretary had called on her to date. We have to wait and watch for events to unfold,” said Srenivasan who said Edappadi Palaniswami has shown his mettle during the last four years.
Saturday, 13 February 2021 | Kumar Chellappan | CHENNAI
