AIADMK Pushes Sasikala To Take Charge As Tamil Nadu CM

After the demise of TN CM J. Jayalalithaa, the party she headed -- AIADMK -- is now trying to convince her closest aide, Sasikala, to lead the party. On Sunday, several senior party workers visited her to request her to join the party and spearhead it.

There are strong chances of Sasikala joining the party. A few days after the death of Jayalalithaa, interim Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai had visited Sasikala to urge her to become the General Secretary of the party, which was earlier Jayalalithaa’s post as well.

Also, Jayalalithaa Peravai, a wing of the ruling AIADMK, has passed a resolution requesting Sasikala to become both party general secretary and Chief Minister by contesting from the RK Nagar constituency (which used to be Jayalalithaa’s constituency) in Chennai.

The resolution was titled “Thai Thanta Varam", which means Sasikala is a boon granted by Amma. Peravai Secretary R B Udhayakumar, who is also Tamil Nadu's Revenue Minister, gave it to Sasikala as a letter, calling her to take charge of both the party and the government.

“Besides guarding the AIADMK, Chinnamma should fight the RK Nagar bypoll (the constituency now vacant after the death of Jayalalithaa) and assume responsibility as Chief Minister, and lead the Amma's government," Mr Udhayakumar told, as reported by NDTV.

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50 Peravai members, including Information Minister Kadambur Raju, Udhaya Kumar and Endowments Minister Sevoor S Ramachandran, advocated Sasikala’s entry into the party. Party cadre leader, Tirupur Rural District Secretary and the housing minister, Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, also made a similar appeal.

“We requested Chinnamma to guard the 1.5 crore AIADMK workers by becoming the party General Secretary and the over 7 crore people of Tamil Nadu by becoming Chief Minister," said Radhakrishnan.

All senior-level party workers and party cadre leaders visited Sasikala at the Poes Garder bungalow, where she continues to live, and gave her the resolutions.