Chennai (Tamil Nadu): In a major development amid the ongoing factional disputes within the AIADMK, V.K. Sasikala's claim to be the interim general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was decisively undermined by the Madras High Court on Tuesday. The court's decision to reject Sasikala's plea marked a significant turning point in the ongoing political division within the party.
A closed confidante of the late Jayalalithaa, Sasikala had pursued legal recourse through three appeal suits and a civil revision petition after an earlier rejection by an Additional City Civil Court in Chennai on April 11, 2022.
The Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and N. Senthilkumar upheld the prior court's decision, reinforcing the invalidity of Sasikala's claims. The timing of this verdict, coinciding with the seventh death anniversary of Jayalalithaa, adds a poignant layer to the already charged political atmosphere surrounding the AIADMK.
Sasikala had assumed the interim general secretary role in the wake of Jaylalithaa's passing on December 5, 2016. However, her subsequent imprisonment on February 12, 2017, due to a disproportionate assets case, triggered internal discord within the AIADMK. In response, the party's general council, on September 12, 2017, ousted Sasikala from the interim general secretary position, appointing O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami as Coordinator and Joint Coordinator, respectively.
With the High Court's recent ruling, Sasikala's claim to leadership within the AIADMK stands unequivocally rejected, solidifying the trajectory of the ongoing factional disputes that continue to mould the political landscape in Tamil Nadu.
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