Chennai, June 28 (BPNS)
The expelled former interim general secretary of the AIADMK, V.K. Sasikala has commenced a state-wide tour to drum up support from the cadres of the party and to emerge as the single largest leader of the AIADMK. She will be traveling across the state in all districts and meeting party local level leaders and cadres.
The yatra of Sasikala amid the intense power struggle in the AIADMK between former Chief Ministers, O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami assumes significance.
She has coined the trip as ‘Puratchi Payanam’ or revolutionary trip and the yatra is to ‘defend the rights of Tamil soil and the dignity of women.
The former interim general secretary who was once the most trusted and powerful aide of former Chief Minister, late J. Jayalalithaa told media persons during her yatra that she has the responsibility to protect the movement and has commenced this tour for the protection of AIADMK.
She also said that the AIADMK must have a single leader to lead the party but that leader must be elected from among the cadres and not decided by a few people.
Sasikala said that the AIADMK was facing its biggest challenge in the fifty years of its existence and that by staying united this adversity will be overcome.
She also said that the recent developments in the AIADMK is to the happiness of DMK workers and that she would not allow the AIADMK to be decimated and hence the yatra.
The former aide of Jayalalithaa who was once the most powerful person in the AIADMK in a subtle reference said that she had made both O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami as Chief Minister but both the leaders did not show the gratitude to her in the long run.
The powerful Thevar community, which has been the vote bank of the AIADMK in South Tamil Nadu is expecting a realignment between Sasikala and Panneerselvam both of whom are from the community. Sources in the AIADMK told IANS that several meetings were conducted between the Thevar community leaders with both Sasikala and OPS separately.
With the power of OPS waning in the AIADMK, the only option left is to drum up the support of cadres and for that, a state-level yatra is being taken up by Sasikala.
