Sasikala era begins: AIADMK appoints Jayalalithaa aide as general secretary

The era of VK Sasikala in the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has begun. The ruling party of Tamil Nadu appointed VK Sasikala, an aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa (sometimes her name is also spelt as Jayalalitha), as the general secretary in a general council meeting in Vanagram, Chennai on Thursday.

AIADMK adopts resolution to work under the leadership of Chinnamma.

— AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) December 29, 2016

Sasikala will lead the party until a new general secretary is elected, the party said in one of the 14 resolutions adopted at the meeting.

#Breakingnews– 5th resolution says Sasikala appointed as General Secretary till a General Secretary is elected. @thenewsminute

— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) December 29, 2016

The party also adopted resolutions demanding Jayalalithaa’s birthday to be celebrated as “National Farmers Day” and the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu to be conferred with Magsaysay Award and Nobel prize for World Peace.

The meeting, however, was just a formality since Senior leaders of the party had openly declared on Wednesday that VK Sasikala would the new general secretary of the party at its general council meeting on Thursday, reports said.

Chennai: AIADMK general body meeting underway (Inside Visuals) pic.twitter.com/hpuU0FFQCQ

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 29, 2016

According to Deccan Chronicle, party spokesman C Ponnaiyan had said that no one has submitted application to contest for the post of general secretary and ‘Chinnamma’ will be elected unanimously.

“She alone has the capacity to safeguard the party since she had been with Amma during 30 years of political life. She has all the capabilities to take over as the general secretary”, Ponnaiyan had said on Wednesday.

The Indian Express had reported that party’s leaders, including district secretaries, were asked to assemble in Vanagaram for the meeting and district secretaries. The report also said that leaders of various wings of the party had already endorsed the leadership of Sasikala.

VK Sasikala, however, didn’t attend the meeting on Thursday. While DNA said that “she apparently wanted to convey the image of a reluctant politician — that she doesn’t want any post but it is the party that has thrust the post on her”, a party source informed The Indian Express that VK Sasikala was advised by her astrologer seems to take up the new role either on 2 January or 3 January.

This was the first general council meeting of the party after the death of Jayalalithaa.

Source: firstpost