Sasikala’s Return to TN Ahead of Elections
Tight security was deployed at AIADMK headquarters ahead of her release.
Sasikala’s return is crucial for the pace of elections in Tamil Nadu. Though she cannot contest for six years because of her conviction, her popularity with the Thevar community, a key vote bank for the AIADMK, is a cause for worry for the ruling party.
On 29 December 2016, at the first party meeting since Jayalalithaa’s death, the AIADMK general council amended the by-laws and unanimously appointed Sasikala as the party’s general secretary.
She was soon slated to be chief minister but then the Supreme Court verdict convicted her. Sasikala was then removed as AIADMK chief and expelled by Edappadi Palaniswami, as part of a truce after he joined hands with rebel-turned-Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Her nephew TTV Dinakaran then founded the party, Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) in August 2017.
Jayalalithaa Memorial Temporarily Closed
Ahead of her release,…