AIADMK legacy contender VK Sasikala on Wednesday met party coordinator and former deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam to condole the death of his wife.
Two Jayalalithaa loyalists, whose rivalry peaked after her death and softened since their conflict in February 2017, met briefly at the Gem Hospital in Chennai.
Since her release from jail, Sasikala has been a contender for the reins of the party.
With no direct talk in the affairs of AIADMK and his only political visibility were audio tapes of phone conversations with party men, where he vowed to win the party, Sasikala recently met former party presidium president Madhusudanan. who was hospitalized and died last month. Edappadi Palaniswami had to rush out as he reached the hospital.
The meeting between Panneerselvam and Sasikala today is likely to give political analysts a chance to quell the current speculation of a slack in their ties. Ahead of the recently concluded elections, in which the DMK came to power, Panneerselvam had indicated that he was ready to bring Sasikala back to the AIADMK. In a phone conversation with the party cadre, Sasikala had indicated that she was ready to end her relationship with the original rebel.
Panneerselvam famously hit out against Sasikala and her family’s control of party affairs after Jayalalithaa left the throne without a successor.
His ‘Crusade’ was about to take some takers and he had to return to the AIADMK’s court under the leadership of Palaniswami and his politicians-SP Velumani, P Thangamani and others.
Sasikala, who went to jail in a disproportionate assets case just three months after Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016, had recently returned and was trying to get her hold on the party.
The top order of the AIADMK appears to be as fluid as it seemed almost four years ago. Palaniswami, apparently incensed by the DMK government for the investigation into the Kodanadu murder case in which he is speculated to be involved, has been caught trying to stall political action against him. Panneerselvam, who often complained about his dwindling clout on party affairs, keeps a low profile. Recently in the state assembly, he described his position with a Tamil couplet which roughly translates to being caught between a rock and a hard place.
With Sasikala attempting to return to the party, the AIADMK is headed for a leadership churn – an inappropriate time for internal challenges when arch-rival DMK can be seen cementing the fort. The question is, what change – if it does happen – will throw off a leader who can stabilize the ship and get the party back on its feet?
read all breaking news, breaking news And coronavirus news Here
.