‘Chinnamma’ to lead AIADMK
chennai — V.K. Sasikala, a close aide of the late chief minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo J. Jayalalithaa, has agreed to head the party, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said on Thursday.
Disclosing this to the media, Panneerselvam said that Sasikala would soon formally assume charge as the party’s general secretary.
Earlier in the day, the ruling AIADMK passed a resolution that Sasikala was the only person fit to become the general secretary.
There was no other contestant for the AIADMK’s top post.
The party’s general council passed the resolution at its meeting here in the morning.
According to the party constitution, a general secretary has to be elected by the basic members in Tamil Nadu and the office-bearers of party wings in Puducherry, New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Andaman.
Till such time a person is elected by the various wings, the general council has unanimously decided that Sasikala is the fit person to become general secretary. There should be a general secretary to chalk out the party’s policies, authorise the party treasurer to handle the accounts and other activities, the party said, adding it would work under her leadership.
CM Panneerselvam and other leaders attended the meeting. The council also passed a resolution condoling the death of Jayalalithaa and several other resolutions.
Later, Panneerselvam took a copy of the general council resolution to Sasikala, who is residing at Jayalalithaa’s residence in Poes Garden here. Sasikala received the resolution, kept it before Jayalalithaa’s picture and bowed to it.
Soon after Jayalalithaa’s death, various leaders and party wings urged Sasikala to take charge of the party, though it was said leaders of other castes would not agree to have two persons from the Thevar caste — Pannerselvam and Sasikala — occupy the two top positions. —