CHENNAI: The supporters of VK Sasikala, former interim general secretary of the AIADMK and a close aide of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, conducting a 'pandakkal puja' for the leader's upcoming public meeting at Pasumpon on February 24, on the former supremo's birth anniversary, have raised expectations over her second political innings.
In a first clear sign of her next political moves, she has ended her phase of consultations with supporters by officially setting a date at the Pasumpon meeting. Party sources said she was expected to use the event to outline her next political move.
Her announcement could involve fielding candidates under the banner of the Anna Dravida Kazhagam, a party her brother VK Divakaran founded in 2018. Alternatively, she may also unveil a new party under her direct leadership. Sources indicated that Sasikala was considering fielding candidates in select constituencies, particularly in the southern districts, where she is believed to have notable support among sections of the Thevar community.
Meanwhile, any political venture by Sasikala is keenly watched by the NDA, which has roped in TTV Dhinakaran to tap into Thevar votes. Observers said that if Sasikala also entered the fray under a separate party banner, the votes that might otherwise reach the NDA through Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam could split.
Following Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, Sasikala was elevated as the AIADMK's interim general secretary. She later lost the position after being sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case and was subsequently expelled from the party. AIADMK's current chief, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, has categorically ruled out any possibility of her return to the party.
Over the past few years, Sasikala has said she has been working to reunite the AIADMK ahead of the Assembly elections. She had also explored aligning with either the AIADMK or the NDA. However, neither the AIADMK nor the BJP was willing to accommodate her, leaving her camp disappointed.