CHENNAI: In a little over two weeks after Jayalalithaa passed away, the AIADMK has announced her closest aide Sasikala Natarajan to replace her as the chief of her party. Sasikala, 54, holds no post in the party, but AIADMK spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said rules would be amended if needed to place her in control.
"It is the desire of the entire party. Sasikala has functioned as the conscience of Amma," he said. Former TN chief minister Jayalalithaa succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest. Sasi lived with her at her huge Poes Garden bungalow, and is addressed as Chinamma. Following her death, Panneerselvam, a loyalist who carried her photo in his shirt pocket everyday, was made the new Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Arrangements for his oath hours after Jaya died in the hospital were attributed to Sasikala. Sasi is known to have a considerable say in appointments and in the selection of candidates. At the nationally-televised funeral, it was Sasikala, who performed the last rites.
Meanwhile, AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa has moved the Madras high court saying the general council of the party should be restrained from choosing the general secretary of the party. Though no date for a meeting of the general council has been announced as yet, it has to be normally held within this calendar year, to satisfy the election commission norms. Sasikala Pushpa's contention was that party by-laws do not allow Sasikalaa to be elected general secretary and yet efforts were on to put her at the top.
Sasikala Pushpa, a Raja Sabha member, was in the eye of a storm recently. She slapped DMK Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi Siva on full public view at Delhi airport. A couple of days later, she spoke in the Parliament alleging that some forces within the AIADMK were threatening her and that she was being forced to resign.
