No place for Sasi in AIADMK, EPS sends clear message post Modi meet

In an apparent attempt to silence supporters of VK Sasikala in the AIADMK ahead of her release from prison on January 27, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday reiterated that former Chief Minister M Jayalalithaa’s aide will never be accommodated back into the party. Later, the State government also announced the inauguration of Jayalalithaa memorial on the day of her release.

“There is no place for Sasikala in the AIADMK. I am 100% sure that she is not a part of the party,” said the Chief Minister, while addressing the media in Delhi after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier in the day, Palaniswami interacted with Modi at his residence for 30 minutes and had also met Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday evening. “I came here to discuss the State’s development. There is still time to the election and seat sharing and other issues can be discussed later,” he clarified.

When asked about the future AMMK and its leader TTV Dhinakaran and if he would be inducted into the AIADMK, the CM said that most AMMK cadre had already joined the party. “Dhinakaran is the only person left in AMMK. He was not part of the AIADMK when Jayalalithaa was alive, and he will not be inducted in the future either,” said Palaniswami.

With several senior leaders, including ministers, openly voicing their support for bringing Sasikala back into the AIADMK, the State government on Tuesday evening announced that Jayalalithaa’s memorial constructed on Kamarajar Street would be inaugurated on January 27, the day Sasikala is released from prison.

The date of inauguration has kicked up a debate in political circles and social media on whether it was chosen deliberately to sideline the release of Sasikala. The memorial named ‘Pheonix’ has been constructed at a cost of Rs 80 crore and stretches up to 50,422 square feet. The memorial also contains a library dedicated to the late CM where her old photos and books will be kept.