VK Sasikala called upon workers of AIADMK to come together after the set back in recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.
VK Sasikala. (Screengrab)
Former AIADMK leader and a close aide of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala said on Sunday, 16 June, that the time for her to enter politics had arrived.
She also said that Amma’s government would come to power in Tamil Nadu with a huge majority after the 2026 Assembly elections.
Amma, meaning mother, was the name by which AIADMK cadre used to refer to Jayalalithaa, who led the party from 1988 till her death in 2016.
Meeting her supporters at the Poes Garden residence in Chennai, Sasikala added that she talks only when the time is right, and that that time had come now.
She further said that during the 2026 elections, the people of the state would be with her and her party.
Sasikala told reporters: “A good time has come now. Don’t worry about anything. This is the right time for something I have always been saying.”
She added: “The people of Tamil Nadu will be with us. I am very strong now. No one can think AIADMK is a forgotten party because this is the time for my entry.”
Without naming anyone in particular, she criticised AIADMK leaders for doing “caste politics” in the party.
She said, “If they want to do caste politics, they can do it somewhere else. But doing it in the party founded by Puratchi Thalaivar MGR is unacceptable.”
She also said that neither she nor the party’s supporters would let it happen anymore.
After the setback in recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the former AIADMK interim general secretary called upon workers of the party to come together.
She also expressed regret over the fact that the party’s candidates forfeited their deposit in seven seats.
After the death of Jayalalithaa in 2016, the then-presiding chairman, E Madhusudhanan called, for an emergent general council meeting.
In the general council meeting, it was resolved to appoint Sasikala as an interim general secretary of AIADMK.
On 30 December, Sasikala took oath as the party’s interim head. However, on 17 February, 2017, the Supreme Court convicted Sasikala in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.
Seven months later, on 12 September, the general council of the AIADMK convened again and resolved to remove Sasikala from the post of interim general secretary and recalled the resolutions taken in the previous general council meeting. Eventually, she was expelled from the party.
It was also resolved that the party would function under dual leadership by creating two new posts — coordinator and joint coordinator.
O Panneerselvam was appointed the coordinator and Palaniswami the joint coordinator of the party.
(Edited by Neena with PTI inputs)
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