Published Mar 13, 2026 | 1:52 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 13, 2026 | 1:52 PM
VK Sasikala. (Screengrab)
Summary: VK Sasikala announced her new party Anaithindhiya Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam in Chennai, stating that its symbol will be a coconut grove. Meanwhile, sources say she is in talks with PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss about a possible political alliance ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Former AIADMK leader and J Jayalalithaa’s aide VK Sasikala announced the name of her new political party at her residence in Poes Garden, Chennai, on Friday, 13 March.
The party has been named Anaithu indhiya Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. She also announced that the party’s symbol will be a coconut grove.
Sources, meanwhile, indicated that Sasikala was in discussions with Dr S Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), who has recently been sidelined within his own party after his son Anbumani Ramadoss took over the reins.
Discussions, the sources said, centred on striking a possible political alliance.
Sasikala–Ramadoss meeting
On the night of 10 March, Sasikala made an unannounced visit to meet Dr. Ramadoss at his residence in Thailapuram, Villupuram district.
Political observers viewed the meeting as significant ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, considering Sasikala’s perceived influence in southern Tamil Nadu and Ramadoss’s base in the northern regions of the state.
Sources in Sasikala’s circle said the two leaders were exploring the possibility of contesting the 2026 Assembly elections together.
The sources further claim that the the leaders also discussed joining hands with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
If such an alliance would not materialise, the two leaders might instead form a new front under their leadership to contest the elections, the sources said.
