The rituals associated with Sasikala Natarajan’s ascension to power as General Secretary of the AIADMK began in style on Friday evening with the Chinnamma paying her obsequies at the memorials of party founder MG Ramachandran and late J Jayalalithaa at Marina Beach in Chennai. Chinnamma will assume power as the general secretary on Saturday, an auspicious day selected by her team of astrologers  from Mannargudi.

Friday evening show at the MGR and Jayalalithaa memorials were scripted to perfection by the members of the Sasikala family. She drove down to Marina Beach accompanied by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, party presidium chairman E Madhusoodhanan, lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thampi Durai and  Sengottayyan, the strongman from Kongunadu region.

Sasikala turned emotional and started sobbing when she  came to the tomb of Jayalalithaa.  She offered floral tributes at the memorial of her Akka (elder sister) with tears rolling down from her eyes.  Then she turned around, took a copy of the resolutions passed by the AIADMK General Council on Friday appointing her as General Secretary, kept it on the tomb and prostrated at the site. General Secretary Sasikala was seen sobbing uncontrollably and wiping the tears even as she stood in silence in front of the Jayalalithaa Memorial.

She also offered floral tributes at the memorials of Anna Durai, the DMK founder and MGR, the AIADMK founder. Even as she was paying homages at the MGR memorial, enthusiastic AIADMK cadre who had accompanied her chanted the slogan “Puratchi Thalaivi Chinnamma Vaazhga, (long live the Revolutionary leader Chinnamma). Private security guards of the AIADMK kept the crowd at bay. At one stage, Madhusoothanan was asked by the guards to stay away from Chinnamma.

According to AIADMK insiders, General Secretary Sasikala would officially take charge of the party and the cadre on Saturday morning. “There is a possibility of her addressing the party leaders, MlAs and Ministers as all have been directed to be present at the AIADMK headquarters on Saturday morning,” said a senior leader.