The centenary celebrations of late MG Ramachandran, the founder-leader and former Chief Minister of AIADMK, began all over the State even as multiple events pointed to the fact that the party founded by him is at crossroads.
late J Jayalalithaa, MGR’s political heir, had gifted her mentor with an ideal gift by ensuring that the AIADMK was in power in Tamil Nadu on the occasion of his centenary year. But with her untimely demise on December 5, 2016, the party which saw a smooth transition of power, is set to face a series of problems, if the developments on Tuesday, the 100th birth anniversary of MGR are any indication.
VK Sasikala, the newly appointed general secretary, led the AIADMK in paying glowing tributes and homages to late MGR. But what turned out to be the cynosure of all eyes in Tamil Nadu was Deepa Jayakumar, niece of late Jayalalithaa who after garlanding the statue of MGR at the arterial Mount Road announced her intentions to join politics and to work for making Tamil Nadu the best State in Asia.
While Sasikala visited the residence of the late MGR at Ramavaram along with Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his Cabinet colleagues, Praveen, one of the nephews of MGR chose to join the BJP.
He was admitted into the party by Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and State party chief TamilissaiSounderarajan. This prompted M Natarajan, husband of Sasikala, to lambast the BJP for trying to create confusion and chaos among the rank and file of the AIADMK. He accused the BJP of trying to saffronise Tamil Nadu and warned the party that the AIADMK would never allow it to do like that.
Natarajan, a persona nona grata at Veda Nilayam, Jayalalithaa’s residence, when she was alive had managed to get into the house following her hospitalisation and death. Sources inside AIADMK confirmed that Natarajan, who is close to the DMK leadership, is the real power behind Sasikala.