As she was welcomed by thousands of party workers who had thronged the Bangalore-Chennai highway since morning, V K Sasikala, the former aide to late J Jayalalithaa, gave enough hints to the AIADMK leadership that she would not be cowed down by restrictions and suppression.
“I’ll engage myself in active politics in days to come for party workers,” Sasikala told media persons in a brief interaction at Thirupathur where she was accorded a rousing reception by the cadres of AIADMK and AMMK.
She said she was not the type who could be enslaved by the powers that be. This was in response to the queries by reporters whether she will be visiting the AIADMK head quarters and the Jayalalithaa Memorial at Chennai’s Marina Beach.
If the crowd which had gathered to welcome her back to Tamil Nadu is any indication, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam may have to rework their strategies to counter “Chinnamma”, as she is addressed even by party leaders. Sasikala (66) was released from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail on January 27 as she completed the four year jail term in connection with the disproportionate asset case.
“This could not be a mobilized crowd as it is difficult to bring this many people by organisers. I am sure most of the party cadres came to welcome her on their own,” said a State Intelligence Officer who was monitoring the journey of Sasikala from Bangalore.
Veteran scribe Sam Rajappa said the turn out of the people to welcome Sasikala was historic. “I don't think any political leaders, both State and National, were accorded such welcome in Tamil Nadu's history,” said Sam Rajappa.
Even as Sasikala set on her journey to Chennai, what stood out was the wordy duel between her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and D Jayakumar, minister of fisheries in Edappadi Palaniswamy Government.
Jayakumar, who had played a key role in easing out Sasikala and her family members from the AIADMK in September 2017, alleged on Sunday that Dhinakaran has taken all money owned by Sasikala. “Dhinakaran is afraid that Sasikala would ask him for accounts. Till the other day he was claiming that AIADMK was a closed chapter. He had insulted the party symbol of Two Leaves by claiming that with the demise of Jayalalithaa, the party symbol too has lost relevance,” said Jayakumar.
He said Dhinakaran made a vault face by declaring that the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhakam was launched with the intention of retrieving the AIADMK and the Two Leaves symbol. Whatever possibilities of patch-up between the AIADMK and the AMMK were there look bleak as on Monday as Sasikala accompanied by hundreds of cars was on her way to the MGR Memorial at Ramavaram in a Chennai suburb. She had called on Ramavaram Gardens, MGR’s personal residence, while on her way to the Bangalore Prison for surrendering before the authorities in 2017.
But what is of interest is whether she would visit Jayalalithaa Memorial at Marina beach to pay her respects to her Amma (as Jayalalithaa was addressed by her) whom she served with devotion for more than three decades.
Sasikala is still facing a number of cases, most of them economic as well as income tax related cases. “Her first priority would be to safeguard the properties owned by her which are right now in possession of the Income Tax Department. Sasikala has to do a tight rope walking as she cannot antagonise the centre,” said Kolahala Srenivas, political commentator.