Sasikala has both blessings and challenges
The unanimous resolution to elect VK Sasikala as the AIADMK legislature party leader was long expected. The decision taken by Tamil Nadu’s legislators reflects their solid support for her leadership. Though she does not have any political experience, yet her proximity to the departed leader and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has made it all possible for her to finally take over as the general secretary of the party first, and now as the Chief Minister. Her detractors, naysayers and the opposition leaders, who saw brinkmanship in the AIADMK, have been proved wrong for now. She is all set to take over as the third woman Chief Minister of the State. Since she is not a member of the State Assembly, she has to get elected within a period of six months, as per the constitutional mandate. It is important that Sasikala, who is popularly known as Chinnamma, keeps her party colleagues together, so as not to allow any difference of opinion, as a faction within the party had wanted the current Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to continue. As Jayalalithaa had nominated him twice as the head of the Government — once when she was jailed in the disproportionate assets case, and lately, when she was hospitalised, just before her death. This clearly showed her trust in Panneerselvam over the other party leaders, who were equally loyal to her. Political pundits say that Sasikala has played her cards well and waited for the right time to step in. Exactly two months after the demise of Jayalalithaa, she has now taken over. She has worked tirelessly to build up consensus and to see that the party rank and file stays intact. In this entire process, she has displayed political maturity (though she had not formally occupied any public office, except working as the general secretary for the last month and a half) and gradually allowed party cadres, sympathisers, and most importantly, party legislators, to see merit in her and accept her as their leader.
She has certainly a long and arduous road lying ahead — first to counter an Opposition solidly gearing up against her, and then working towards fulfilling the grand projects once laid down by Jayalalithaa. Meanwhile, MK Stalin, the working president of the rival DMK, criticised the AIADMK's decision to elect Sasikala as the leader of the party. Stalin lambasted the party by saying that “making her Chief Minister of the State was against the wishes of both the late Jayalalithaa and the people of the State”. Though Sasikala has promised party workers that her “Government would follow the path laid out by Jayalalithaa”, yet she has to be extremely cautious while implementing hundreds of populist schemes rolled out by her leader, some of which had drawn flak from many quarters.
The biggest challenge for Sasikala is to work behind the larger-than-life persona and status of Jayalalithaa. As Jayalalithaa was a charismatic leader, filling the void created by her death will remain an impossible task for long-time friend Sasikala. People's expectation will be sky-high — the way it used to be when Jayalalithaa was alive. Undoubtedly, Sasikala will have a tough time ahead, and she needs unwavering support from her legislators. From the sidelines in politics to the mainland, all that she should be guided by is caution and discretion.