An action packed drama is unfolding in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape as the main protagonists launched accusation and counter-accusation by Tuesday. Leaders of the AIADMK, AMMK and the DMK were heard terming each other as the B-team of either the BJP (which has no base in the State) or the DMK, the main Opposition party.
This provided the ambience as VK Sasikala, the former aide to late J Jayalalithaa, strode into Chennai in the wee hours of Tuesday after a 23 hour car ride from Bangalore.
Sasikala was released from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail on January 27 where she served a four-year jail term in connection with the disproportionate asset case. She set on her return journey to Chennai at 9.30 am on Monday and was accorded a warm welcome by thousands who had gathered along the road from Bangalore to Chennai.
Sasikala, who was elected general secretary of the AIADMK on December 29, 2016, went to Ramavaram Gardens in a Chennai suburb, the residence of party founder late M G Ramachandran and paid obeisance in front of his picture and a life-size statue. “I have been enslaved by the Tamil people and hence I would continue to be in active politics to fight for them,” Sasikala said while reading out from a prepared statement.
By the time Sasikala left Bangalore for Chennai, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy had ordered the closure of Jayalalithaa Memorial at Marina Beach. Though the Government version was that the Memorial has been closed for maintenance works, it was to prevent Sasikala from offering homages to her Amma (Jayalalithaa).
Though the Tamil Nadu Police ordered Sasikala to remove the AIADMK flag from the car in which she was travelling, she ignored the diktat and continued to travel in a car owned by a AIADMK functionary , who was later suspended by the party.
Wherever she addressed party cadre, in a style resembling Jayalalithaa, Sasikala exhorted the cadre to defeat the common adversary DMK. But D Jayakumar, fisheries minister, who is also the spokesman of Palaniswamy and the AIADMK termed her and TTV Dhinakaran as the B-team of the DMK. This led Kanimozhi, step-sister of DMK chief M K Stalin to retaliate by calling the AIADMK as the B-team of BJP.
Political commentators differ in their opinion about the future of the AIADMK with the entry of Sasikala. “There are many MLAs and ministers who owe their position to Sasikala who only handpicked them at the time of 2016 assembly election. They will cross over to the Sasikala camp in days to come,” said Sam Rajappa, veteran scribe and commentator.
Meanwhile the State Government has started taking possession of properties owned by Sasikala, her close relations Ilavarasi, Suchakaran and Dhinakaran in various parts of the State as part of the 2017 Supreme Court order upholding the Special Court verdict sentencing Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and others in the Disproportionate Asset Case.
On Tuesday, the district collector of Thanjavur took possession of immovable properties owned by TTV Dhinakaran in the district while the collectors of Kancheepuram and Chengalpettu seized the properties owned by him, Sasikala, and their relatives in these districts.
Dhinakaran, who had accompanied Sasikala from Bagalore said that she would go ahead with the legal battle against the present AIADMK leadership as his aunt was eased out of the party by illegal means.