Sasikala’s next round of field work may widen AIADMK factional feud

Sasikala had reportedly told her supporters to organise the interaction with AIADMK cadre in Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram on October 28 and 29. She also has plans of attending the annual Muthuramalinga Thevar Guru Pujai at Pasumpon, sources said.

The former aide of J Jayalalithaa is planning to meet the sulking and dissenting AIADMK workers. She also plans to meet the AIADMK candidates who lost the civic polls to the rival DMK and comfort them.

The resurgence of Sasikala comes in the wake of AIADMK leaders hitting out at the former aide of Jayalalithaa with sarcastic comments. Though Sasikala had asked her supporters not to verbally retaliate against the AIADMK leaders, her supporters had started reaching out to the sulking heavyweights who were removed from the AIADMK in the past.

Call for unified party

Meanwhile, former AIADMK heavyweights, KC Palaniswami and V Pughazendhi had extended olive branch to Sasikala. Both KCP and Pughazendi are now on a campaign insisting on a unified AIADMK so that the opposition can take on the ruling DMK in the upcoming urban civic polls.

“There is nothing wrong in accommodating Sasikala back into the party. I have seen the merger of Janaki and Jayalalithaa and was instrumental in the merger of O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami. Now for the welfare of party, I wish Sasikala and EPS factions merge,” former AIADMK MP Palaniswami told DT Next. The current crop of AIADMK leaders are not hard-hitting the DMK. There is a need for a unified AIADMK so that the party is ready for urban local body polls and the next Lok Sabha elections, he added.

In my view, OPS is silent and is not commenting against Sasikala, but EPS and Jayakumar are using substandard language against Sasikala. Only a united AIADMK can help the party to come up from back to back defeats, said Pughazendhi.