Two days after Jayalilthaa’s demise, The News Minute published an article on her closest aide Sasikala’s family’s quiet re-entry to the party over the 75 days that the former Chief Minister was in hospital before breathing her last.
Jayalalithaa had thrown out Sasikala from AIADMK fearing that her family members were reaping advantages out of her powerful position. But exactly a 100 days later, she was back having promised to forsake her family for the supreme leader of Tamil Nadu.
But Sasikala was seen to be openly back with her family during Jayalalithaa’s funeral and now there are posters upholding her as the next leader who should step into the former charismatic AIADMK supremo’s shoes to continue the “Golden Era”.
The poster featuring Sasikala reads “Golden period of Amma’s govt must continue under you."
Sasikala’s husband M Natarajan who was banished from the party and Poes Garden has also seemed to have unofficially returned to the party since Amma’s demise and heard speaking about the party’s future like a veteran.
Natarajan was also seen conversing with Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajaji Hall where Jayalalithaa’s mortal remains were kept for the public to pay homage, leading to rumours of the BJP trying to finally lay root the Dravidian politics of the state, which has for so long shunned national parties.
Despite Jayalalithaa’s attempts to keep Sasikala’s over-imposing coterie from the party politics, the “Mannargudi Mafia” seems to be inching closer to laying a powerful network within the AIADMK.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)