Sasikala set to be discharged today
Ousted AIADMK leader VK Sasikala who was treated for COVID-19 at the Victoria government hospital in Bengaluru will be discharged on Sunday. However, public health department officials in Bengaluru have told her family that she needs to undergo home quarantine until the symptoms subside.
Earlier in the day, there were reports that the AMMK leader would be discharged on Saturday. Sources said AMMK functionaries have received oral instructions for receiving Sasikala on February 5. A section of family members also wants Ilavarasi, her sister-in-law and another convict in the DA case to be shifted to Chennai along with Sasikala. Ilavarasi had also tested positive and was being treated at Victoria hospital.
“The family is also looking at shifting Sasikala to Chennai through an ambulance by next week or allowing her to take adequate rest in Bengaluru and return later,” a senior AMMK leader confirmed. He also added that Chinnamma will visit Jaya’s memorial on Marina beach when she returns to the city.
CHENNAI: In contrast to the directions of the party high command, the AIADMK workers have started putting up posters welcoming the release of AMMK leader VK Sasikala.
The developments have now forced the party top brass to expel the AIADMK workers contradicting with the views of party high command. In a similar development, the party workers have also started petitioning against the existing district secretaries and have registered their protests over the appointment of new district secretaries.
About 100 cadres of AIADMK on Friday staged a protest demanding the removal party’s Chennai district secretary Adhi Rajaram. This is third such incident against the AIADMK district secretary and there are also petitions piling up against MLAs and district secretaries, AIADMK insiders said.
“The dissent and the fight for the MLA tickets between the supporters of OPS and EPS had started popping out in different districts. AIADMK office-bearers in dissent had also started putting up posters welcoming the release of Sasikala. Rubbing salt to the injuries, the AIADMK alliance partners have also started extending their greeting for Sasikala, which includes DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth and Mukkulathor Pullipadai legislator Karunaas,” an AIADMK senior said.
“In the past six months hundreds of cadres workers than 300 workers from AMMK have migrated back to AIADMK and they are the people who are now putting up posters greeting Chinnamma,” said an AMMK functionary. The cadres want the AIADMK and the AMMK to merge but a section of AIADMK leaders are against the merger, the functionary said. The AIADMK leaders bifurcated more district units like former CM J Jayalalithaa and this has started backfiring and there is a visible dissent against the existing Chennai district secretaries of AIADMK,” said an AIADMK headquarters source.
During the days of Amma, there was a fear factor against the party leadership, and this had decimated in the absence of charismatic J Jayalalithaa, the source added. Further, the party workers are aware of the factional feud between OPS and EPS, he said recalling the tweet of OPS son Jayapradeep greeting VK Sasikala.
“The release of Sasikala will not have a major impact in TN. The election will be a direct fight between AIADMK two leaves symbol and DMK’s rising son, other factors will not be a poll plank,” said Munawar Baasha, general secretary and spokesperson of Tamil Maanila Congress, an ally of AIADMK. CM EPS is grounded and is easily approachable for AIADMK cadres and alliance partners, so the AMMK factor will fizzle out, he said.
In his post, Jayapradeep wished Sasikala, who is being treated for COVID-19 but there is more politics to it. The issue will gain momentum when Sasikala opens her mouth in public, opined political commentator R Mani. The tweet comes at a time when the AIADMK is coming down hard on leaders and we should wait and watch the action being taken by the AIADMK against those who are supporting convict Sasikala, Mani added.