Sasikala quits politics: AIADMK relieved; Dhinakaran distraught

In a stunning development, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s confidant, V K Sasikala, has announced her decision to quit politics, contrary to her own assertion that she would play a crucial role in the run-up to the Assembly election, barely a month away. While her sudden and unexpected decision had left her nephew T T V Dhinakaran, heading the splinter AIADMK faction, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), shattered, this has come as a huge relief for the ruling AIADMK and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who had steadfastly resisted her re-entry into the party despite the pressure from the BJP, its NDA ally. However, it is a setback for the efforts of the saffron party to bring her on board the NDA platform and ensure that the AIADMK vote does not get split since her bowing out of politics will not deter Dhinakaran from ploughing a lonely furrow and snatch away a significant chunk of AIADMK voters, writes M C Rajan, Bureau Chief, Chennai, ETV Bharat.

Chennai: Taking the political establishment by surprise, V K Sasikala, who received a massive reception on her release from prison in the wealth case, made a somersault announcing her decision to take political sanyas. The denouement came late on Wednesday, shattering the hopes of nephew T T V Dhinakaran, who was expected to milk her presence for his political survival as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had reportedly strived hard for a patch-up between her and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ahead of the crucial Assembly elections.

“Staying away from politics, I will continue to pray to the deity in my heart and my sister as well as the almighty for the continuation of the golden rule of ‘Amma’… True followers of Amma should dedicatedly work to prevent the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam from returning to power. Amma had shown that the DMK is the evil force and her followers should work with due wisdom,” read her statement released to the media.

Significantly, Sasikala, who till now claimed that she continues to be the General Secretary of the AIADMK and resumed her legal battle to reclaim her position chose not to release the statement in the letter. Instead, it was released on plain paper.

Before leaving for the Bengaluru prison four years ago, she visited Jayalalithaa’s Samadhiand took a vow by beating on the earth thrice. Then on her return also, she made it clear that she could not be cowed down by the powers that be. “I will play a crucial role in politics. I will take on those who abuse authority,” she had said on witnessing the massive reception accorded en-route to Chennai from the Tamil Nadu border with Karnataka.

On her release, she remained confined to her relative’s residence in the city. And contrary to expectation there was no exodus from the AIADMK towards Sasikala.

Reacting to Sasikala’s announcement, Dhinakaran expressed disappointment but made it clear that this would not deter him or the AMMK from contesting the election.

“It gives me great disappointment and I am shattered. I pleaded with her not to give up. But, then, since she is my maternal aunt, I can’t impose my will on her,” he told the media adding that Sasikala will continue her legal fight to redeem the AIADMK.

A visibly relieved AIADMK camp started training their guns on Dhinakaran. “This is a decision that will satiate Amma’s soul,” said AIADMK Deputy Coordinator KP Munusamy. However, he blamed Dhinakaran for trying to prevent the continuation of Jayalalithaa’s reign.

Putting aside its disappointment, the BJP too welcomed the development saying that the need of the hour was to prevent the ‘evil force DMK’ form coming to power. “Our common enemy is the DMK and to stop its march to power we should work unitedly as children of a common mother,” said BJP state president L Murugan.

It might be recalled that only last month ‘Thuglak’ editor and RSS ideologue had compared Sasikala to sewage water and said, “to douse a house on fire, we need not wait for Ganga jal, but should not hesitate to use water from the sewer.”

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K S Alagiri too welcomed Sasikala’s decision.