VK Sasikala Natarajan, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who took over as AIADMK General Secretary in December, is likely to take over as the CM of the Southern Indian state next week.

According to reports, Sasikala may take over from O Panneerselvam, on February 8 or 9 and a decision in this regard could likely to be taken at a meeting of the AIADMK MLAs on Sunday.

The development comes a day after Sasikala appointed senior leaders, including some former ministers and a former Mayor, to key party posts.

Former ministers KA Sengottaiyan, S Gokula Indira and BV Ramana, besides ex-Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy were appointed as the party&#39;s organisation secretaries, she said. She announced the appointment of various senior leaders, including fisheries minister D Jayakumar, to a number of posts.

She also announced the removal of Ambattur MLA V Alexander as AIADMK&#39;s MGR Youth Wing secretary.

Meanwhile, reversing the appointments made by Jayalalithaa, three top bureaucrats of the state government&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-tamil-nadu-jayalalithaa-s-trusted-aide-asked-to-quit-by-the-cm-panneerselvam-2311563" target="_blank">have been asked to resign</a>&nbsp;by CMO.

Earlier, pledging to take forward the legacy of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala had asserted that none other than party founder MG Ramachandran, Dravidian ideologue CN Annadurai and &#39;Amma&#39; would be given prominence in the party.

In her first formal address to functionaries after formally taking charge as party chief, Sasikala had said that the AIADMK will continue to be run in the same way as it was during Amma;s time when it was administered with a level of &quot;discipline as seen in the Army&quot;. It will continue to follow in the footsteps of these great leaders who looked beyond caste and religion, she said. Her assertion came against the backdrop of some murmur of protests against her taking over as the party&#39;s general secretary.

(This first appeared in DNA)

Reports suggest that Sasikala may take over from O Panneerselvam on February 8 or 9

VK Sasikala Natarajan, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who took over as AIADMK General Secretary in December, is likely to take over as the CM of the Southern Indian state next week. According to reports, Sasikala may take over from O Panneerselvam, on February 8 or 9 and a decision in this regard could likely to be taken at a meeting of the AIADMK MLAs on Sunday. The development comes a day after Sasikala appointed senior leaders, including some former ministers and a former Mayor, to key party posts. Former ministers KA Sengottaiyan, S Gokula Indira and BV Ramana, besides ex-Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy were appointed as the party's organisation secretaries, she said. She announced the appointment of various senior leaders, including fisheries minister D Jayakumar, to a number of posts. She also announced the removal of Ambattur MLA V Alexander as AIADMK's MGR Youth Wing secretary. Meanwhile, reversing the appointments made by Jayalalithaa, three top bureaucrats of the state government have been asked to resign by CMO. Earlier, pledging to take forward the legacy of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala had asserted that none other than party founder MG Ramachandran, Dravidian ideologue CN Annadurai and 'Amma' would be given prominence in the party. In her first formal address to functionaries after formally taking charge as party chief, Sasikala had said that the AIADMK will continue to be run in the same way as it was during Amma;s time when it was administered with a level of "discipline as seen in the Army". It will continue to follow in the footsteps of these great leaders who looked beyond caste and religion, she said. Her assertion came against the backdrop of some murmur of protests against her taking over as the party's general secretary. (This first appeared in DNA)

India: AIADMK general secretary Sasikala may take over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu

Amid cheers by thousands of supporters, VK Sasikala, close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, &nbsp;took charge as AIADMK general secretary, the top party post on Saturday.

&quot;Amma (Jayalalithaa) is always in my heart,&quot; an emotionally charged Sasikala said after assuming charge, adding she had been with Jayalalithaa for party meetings for over 33 years and that the AIADMK will continue to rule for many years.

The close aide of late Jayalalithaa first garlanded the statue of party founder M G Ramachandran at the AIADMK headquarters here after she arrived in the midst of tight security.

She then proceeded to pay floral tributes to the portrait of Jayalalithaa.

Sasikala formally assumed charge by signing papers after which she proceeded to address the gathering outside.

En route to the party office, she was given a rousing welcome by party leaders, functionaries and cadres who had gathered in large numbers.

Party activists had lined up on both sides of the road from the Poes Garden residence to the party headquarters at Royapettah to welcome her.

Sasikala, clad in a light green saree with a pink border, greeted them with folded hands.

Party flags, banners and festoons sporting bright images of Jayalalithaa and Sasikala were put up on roads, all along from Poes garden to Royapettah.

AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan, party treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, veteran party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai, received Sasikala and accompanied her to the party office.

Party leaders led her to the office of the general secretary where she held discussions with Panneerselvam, who is also party treasurer, Madusudanan, Thambidurai, and others.

The AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah was spruced up for the occasion. A platform was set up near the MGR statue to facilitate Sasikala to pay tributes to the party founder before taking charge. Ministers, party MPs, MLAs also participated.

On December 29, a meeting of AIADMK&#39;s top decision making body, the general council, which was attended by all top leaders including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, took the decision to appoint her as part general secretary by adopting a resolution unanimously.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Sasikala was given a rousing welcome by party leaders, functionaries and cadres of the AIADMK

Amid cheers by thousands of supporters, VK Sasikala, close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, took charge as AIADMK general secretary, the top party post on Saturday. "Amma (Jayalalithaa) is always in my heart," an emotionally charged Sasikala said after assuming charge, adding she had been with Jayalalithaa for party meetings for over 33 years and that the AIADMK will continue to rule for many years. The close aide of late Jayalalithaa first garlanded the statue of party founder M G Ramachandran at the AIADMK headquarters here after she arrived in the midst of tight security. She then proceeded to pay floral tributes to the portrait of Jayalalithaa. Sasikala formally assumed charge by signing papers after which she proceeded to address the gathering outside. En route to the party office, she was given a rousing welcome by party leaders, functionaries and cadres who had gathered in large numbers. Party activists had lined up on both sides of the road from the Poes Garden residence to the party headquarters at Royapettah to welcome her. Sasikala, clad in a light green saree with a pink border, greeted them with folded hands. Party flags, banners and festoons sporting bright images of Jayalalithaa and Sasikala were put up on roads, all along from Poes garden to Royapettah. AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan, party treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, veteran party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai, received Sasikala and accompanied her to the party office. Party leaders led her to the office of the general secretary where she held discussions with Panneerselvam, who is also party treasurer, Madusudanan, Thambidurai, and others. The AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah was spruced up for the occasion. A platform was set up near the MGR statue to facilitate Sasikala to pay tributes to the party founder before taking charge. Ministers, party MPs, MLAs also participated. On December 29, a meeting of AIADMK's top decision making body, the general council, which was attended by all top leaders including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, took the decision to appoint her as part general secretary by adopting a resolution unanimously. (PTI)

Sasikala takes over as chief of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK party

More than three weeks after the demise of former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, the Madras High Court on Thursday raised questions over the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and asked why her body can&#39;t be exhumed.

&quot;Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa&#39;s death,&quot; said Justice Vaidyanathan who was hearing a petition.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into &#39;questionable incidents&#39; around Jayalalithaa&#39;s death</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into 'questionable incidents' around Jayalalithaa's death" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;When she was admitted in hospital, it was said that she was on&nbsp;proper diet. At least after her death now, truth should be revealed,&quot; Vaidyanathan said.

The judge also went on to say that the court could order the exhumation and post-mortem of Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s body, reported The News Minute.

A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into &ldquo;questionable incidents&rdquo;, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery, and the cardiac arrest resulting in her death, around Jayalalithaa&#39;s death.

Petitioner PA Joseph, a city resident, listed the sequence of events since Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s admission to Apollo Hospital here on September 22 and claimed that the &ldquo;secrecy&rdquo; preceding her death gave rise to &ldquo;grave doubts&rdquo; in the minds of the people.

The public interest litigation, which listed 12 respondents, including the Apollo Hospitals chairman, is likely to be taken up for hearing by the vacation bench of the court on December 29.

The petitioner pleaded that the commission must peruse all the records, reports and documents that are in possession of the government as well as the hospital and look into &ldquo;several questionable incidents&rdquo;, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery and the subsequent cardiac arrest resulting in her death on December 5.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

'Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death,' said Justice Vaidyanathan

More than three weeks after the demise of former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, the Madras High Court on Thursday raised questions over the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and asked why her body can't be exhumed. "Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death," said Justice Vaidyanathan who was hearing a petition. A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into 'questionable incidents' around Jayalalithaa's death × "When she was admitted in hospital, it was said that she was on proper diet. At least after her death now, truth should be revealed," Vaidyanathan said. The judge also went on to say that the court could order the exhumation and post-mortem of Jayalalithaa’s body, reported The News Minute. A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into “questionable incidents”, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery, and the cardiac arrest resulting in her death, around Jayalalithaa's death. Petitioner PA Joseph, a city resident, listed the sequence of events since Jayalalithaa’s admission to Apollo Hospital here on September 22 and claimed that the “secrecy” preceding her death gave rise to “grave doubts” in the minds of the people. The public interest litigation, which listed 12 respondents, including the Apollo Hospitals chairman, is likely to be taken up for hearing by the vacation bench of the court on December 29. The petitioner pleaded that the commission must peruse all the records, reports and documents that are in possession of the government as well as the hospital and look into “several questionable incidents”, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery and the subsequent cardiac arrest resulting in her death on December 5. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Why can't her body be exhumed? Madras HC raises questions over Jayalalithaa's death

An expelled leader of an Indian regional party was assaulted by a crowd on Wednesday afternoon.

Sasikala Pushpa, an expelled member of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) -- which is the ruling party of India&#39;s southern state of Tamil Nadu -- and her husband Lingeswara Thalagan sustained injuries when they tried to enter the party headquarters in Tamil Nadu&#39;s capital city Chennai.

Her lawyers were not spared either.

<blockquote data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Suspended AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa&#39;s lawyer attacked outside party office by AIADMK workers in Chennai. <a href="https://t.co/u10t63TmzX">pic.twitter.com/u10t63TmzX</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/814031596391047168">December 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sasikala and her husband had gone to the AIADMK office to submit nomination papers for the post of party general secretary.

Sasikala was expelled from the party for her outbursts in the Indian Parliament on August 1.&nbsp;

The general secretary post has been lying vacant since the demise of the then state&nbsp;chief minister Jayalalithaa on December 5.

Jayalalithaa&#39;s close aide Sasikala Natarajan is the favourite to take over the reins of the regional party.

Sasikala Pushpa&#39;s decision to contest for the post had riled vast swathes of AIADMK&#39;s cadre as the majority of them want Sasikala Natarajan to become the next party chief.

On Wednesday, hundreds of party members had massed outside the party office to prevent Saikala Pushpa from entering the premises.

<blockquote data-lang="en">
She(Sasikala Pushpa) is no more in AIADMK, what right does she have to come to the party office?:CR Saraswathy,AIADMK to ANI
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/814049919577133056">December 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

(WION)

Sasikala Pushpa and her husband had gone to the party headquarters to submit nomination papers for the post of party general secretary

An expelled leader of an Indian regional party was assaulted by a crowd on Wednesday afternoon. Sasikala Pushpa, an expelled member of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) -- which is the ruling party of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu -- and her husband Lingeswara Thalagan sustained injuries when they tried to enter the party headquarters in Tamil Nadu's capital city Chennai. Her lawyers were not spared either. #WATCH: Suspended AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa's lawyer attacked outside party office by AIADMK workers in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/u10t63TmzX — ANI (@ANI_news) December 28, 2016 Sasikala and her husband had gone to the AIADMK office to submit nomination papers for the post of party general secretary. Sasikala was expelled from the party for her outbursts in the Indian Parliament on August 1. The general secretary post has been lying vacant since the demise of the then state chief minister Jayalalithaa on December 5. Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala Natarajan is the favourite to take over the reins of the regional party. Sasikala Pushpa's decision to contest for the post had riled vast swathes of AIADMK's cadre as the majority of them want Sasikala Natarajan to become the next party chief. On Wednesday, hundreds of party members had massed outside the party office to prevent Saikala Pushpa from entering the premises. She(Sasikala Pushpa) is no more in AIADMK, what right does she have to come to the party office?:CR Saraswathy,AIADMK to ANI — ANI (@ANI_news) December 28, 2016 (WION)

AIADMK's expelled leader Sasikala assaulted by partymen

The ruling AIADMK on Thursday strongly backed former chief minister Jayalalithaa&#39;s&nbsp;close aide VK Sasikala to succeed her as party General Secretary, saying she qualifies to be&nbsp;elected &quot;automatically&quot; and &quot;unanimously&quot; to the post by virtue of being the departed leader&#39;s&nbsp;&quot;conscience&quot; for long.

Party spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said while Jayalalithaa was the &quot;conscience&quot; of AIADMK founder and&nbsp;her mentor M G Ramachandran, Sasikala was, likewise, her &quot;conscience.&quot;

&quot;Chinnamma (as Sasikala is addressed by party workers), had been with Amma through her good and bad&nbsp;times for 33 years. She had been Amma&#39;s conscience and continues to be so. She has played a vital&nbsp;role in keeping the party intact for long. Therefore, Chinnamma will be elected as General Secretary&nbsp;automatically and unanimously. There is no doubt or fear in that,&quot; he told reporters here.

He expressed confidence that the party&#39;s decision-making bodies, General Council and Executive&nbsp;Council, have powers to elect Sasikala to lead the party and that the &quot;aspirations will be met&quot; in&nbsp;this regard.

Indicating their proximity, he said Sasikala was Jayalalithaa&#39;s &#39;udanpirava sagothari&#39; (surrogate&nbsp;sister).

Ponnaiyan said an online campaign on WhatsApp and Facebook to &quot;defame Sasikala&quot; and &quot;finish off&nbsp;AIADMK&quot; by &quot;opposition parties&quot; will not succeed.

Ponnaiyan recalled that whenever the party functionaries would want to discuss an issue with&nbsp;Jayalalithaa, she would &quot;affectionately&quot; refer them to Sasikala and &quot;gave so much of importance to&nbsp;her&quot;.

Sasikala &quot;cared for and protected&quot; Jayalalithaa, he said, adding, she had been a &quot;shadow&quot; and&nbsp;&quot;conscience&quot; of the late leader.

Meanwhile, scores of senior party functionaries thronged the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa&nbsp;and urged Sasikala to take over the reins of AIADMK and lead the party.

Senior leaders, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai,&nbsp;had earlier voiced their support for Sasikala&#39;s elevation to the post.

(PTI)

It said she qualifies to be?elected 'automatically' and 'unanimously' by virtue of being Jaya's 'conscience'

The ruling AIADMK on Thursday strongly backed former chief minister Jayalalithaa's close aide VK Sasikala to succeed her as party General Secretary, saying she qualifies to be elected "automatically" and "unanimously" to the post by virtue of being the departed leader's "conscience" for long. Party spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said while Jayalalithaa was the "conscience" of AIADMK founder and her mentor M G Ramachandran, Sasikala was, likewise, her "conscience." "Chinnamma (as Sasikala is addressed by party workers), had been with Amma through her good and bad times for 33 years. She had been Amma's conscience and continues to be so. She has played a vital role in keeping the party intact for long. Therefore, Chinnamma will be elected as General Secretary automatically and unanimously. There is no doubt or fear in that," he told reporters here. He expressed confidence that the party's decision-making bodies, General Council and Executive Council, have powers to elect Sasikala to lead the party and that the "aspirations will be met" in this regard. Indicating their proximity, he said Sasikala was Jayalalithaa's 'udanpirava sagothari' (surrogate sister). Ponnaiyan said an online campaign on WhatsApp and Facebook to "defame Sasikala" and "finish off AIADMK" by "opposition parties" will not succeed. Ponnaiyan recalled that whenever the party functionaries would want to discuss an issue with Jayalalithaa, she would "affectionately" refer them to Sasikala and "gave so much of importance to her". Sasikala "cared for and protected" Jayalalithaa, he said, adding, she had been a "shadow" and "conscience" of the late leader. Meanwhile, scores of senior party functionaries thronged the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa and urged Sasikala to take over the reins of AIADMK and lead the party. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, had earlier voiced their support for Sasikala's elevation to the post. (PTI)

India: AIADMK backs Sasikala to succeed Jayalalithaa as general secretary

Tamil Nadu&#39;s ruling AIADMK party says it has called upon former chief minister Jayalalithaa aide and confidante VK Sasikala to lead the party on the path shown by Jayalalithaa.

They have asked her to take on the post of party general secretary.&nbsp;

Jayalalithaa, who died Monday, had been general secretary of the AIADMK for the past 27 years.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Senior party functionaries have urged Sasikala to lead the party on the path shown by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jayalalithaa?src=hash">#jayalalithaa</a> : AIADMK
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/807525945816924161">December 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The Tamil Nadu cabinet met officially for the first time today after the death of the former chief minister.

Rejecting reports of rift in the AIADMK and jockeying for the top post of general secretary, the party&#39;s organisational secretary C Ponnaiyan said the party would soon elect its general secretary, PTI reported. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
&quot;The party high command has taken a decision to elect a General Secretary and the election will happen soon,&quot; he said.

&quot;There is no such thing like competition or problems.... There is nothing like this or that person competing (for the top post),&quot; he said, adding AIADMK was a united party which has been built like a fortress by &#39;Amma&#39;.

Sasikala, who&nbsp;worked closely with Jayalalithaa her during her three tenures as chief minister but occupied no official post, has faced criticism for denying other people access to Jayalalithaa during her stay in hospital.

The AIADMK has also been criticised for consulting Sasikala on every important decision. Senior ministers, including chief minister O Panneerselvam, have been paying her regular visits at the Poes Garden home she shared with Jayalalithaa.&nbsp;

The party defended Sasikala strongly today, stating there was nothing wrong in its leaders calling on her as she was a key member of the AIADMK, PTI reported.

&quot;Even if somebody (belonging to the party) met Sasikala Amma, what is wrong in it? Is she not an important member of the party? What you say is wrong,&quot; Ponnaiyan, who is also the party spokesperson,&nbsp;said.

&quot;AIADMK is steered by party bodies, including general and executive committees and functionaries at multiple levels and Sasikala is a key member,&quot; Ponnaiyan added.

&quot;Sasikala Amma lived with Puratchi Thalaivi Amma&#39;s (revolutionary leader Jayalalithaa&#39;s) last breath. Such questions are unnecessary.&quot;

Asked about the role of Sasikala&#39;s husband Natarajan and other family members in the party, he said &quot;this is an unnecessary question. The party is led and guarded by over 1.5 crore members.&quot;

Asked who the chief minister, ministers and other top officials were consulting by visiting Jayalalithaa&#39;s Poes Garden residence and if it was Sasikala, he said, &quot;they are having a meeting with the chief minister there.&quot;

On the reported anger among some cadres against Sasikala for restricting access to Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation, he said, &quot;It is a planned rumour and spread wantonly... Blaming this or that person is a deliberate rumour.&quot;

On claims that the absence of a second rung leadership was responsible for the present void, he said, &quot;In this party, each and every cadre is a leader. Amma made ordinary workers as MLAs and ministers. This is a party of workers, built by them and this is the philosophy of Amma and that is being followed.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The AIADMK has asked her to take on the post of party general secretary, which was what Jaya was before she died

Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK party says it has called upon former chief minister Jayalalithaa aide and confidante VK Sasikala to lead the party on the path shown by Jayalalithaa. They have asked her to take on the post of party general secretary. Jayalalithaa, who died Monday, had been general secretary of the AIADMK for the past 27 years. Senior party functionaries have urged Sasikala to lead the party on the path shown by #jayalalithaa : AIADMK — ANI (@ANI_news) December 10, 2016 × The Tamil Nadu cabinet met officially for the first time today after the death of the former chief minister. Rejecting reports of rift in the AIADMK and jockeying for the top post of general secretary, the party's organisational secretary C Ponnaiyan said the party would soon elect its general secretary, PTI reported. "The party high command has taken a decision to elect a General Secretary and the election will happen soon," he said. "There is no such thing like competition or problems.... There is nothing like this or that person competing (for the top post)," he said, adding AIADMK was a united party which has been built like a fortress by 'Amma'. Sasikala, who worked closely with Jayalalithaa her during her three tenures as chief minister but occupied no official post, has faced criticism for denying other people access to Jayalalithaa during her stay in hospital. The AIADMK has also been criticised for consulting Sasikala on every important decision. Senior ministers, including chief minister O Panneerselvam, have been paying her regular visits at the Poes Garden home she shared with Jayalalithaa. The party defended Sasikala strongly today, stating there was nothing wrong in its leaders calling on her as she was a key member of the AIADMK, PTI reported. "Even if somebody (belonging to the party) met Sasikala Amma, what is wrong in it? Is she not an important member of the party? What you say is wrong," Ponnaiyan, who is also the party spokesperson, said. "AIADMK is steered by party bodies, including general and executive committees and functionaries at multiple levels and Sasikala is a key member," Ponnaiyan added. "Sasikala Amma lived with Puratchi Thalaivi Amma's (revolutionary leader Jayalalithaa's) last breath. Such questions are unnecessary." Asked about the role of Sasikala's husband Natarajan and other family members in the party, he said "this is an unnecessary question. The party is led and guarded by over 1.5 crore members." Asked who the chief minister, ministers and other top officials were consulting by visiting Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence and if it was Sasikala, he said, "they are having a meeting with the chief minister there." On the reported anger among some cadres against Sasikala for restricting access to Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation, he said, "It is a planned rumour and spread wantonly... Blaming this or that person is a deliberate rumour." On claims that the absence of a second rung leadership was responsible for the present void, he said, "In this party, each and every cadre is a leader. Amma made ordinary workers as MLAs and ministers. This is a party of workers, built by them and this is the philosophy of Amma and that is being followed." (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: AIADMK asks Jayalalithaa aide Sasikala to lead party

Clad in a black saree, a sombre-looking Sasikala Natarajan, who remained a wall of support for Jayalalithaa through thick and thin, remained beside the casket of the departed leader as people filed past it paying their homage.

Intermittently standing up and touching Jayalalithaa&#39;s face, which was kept in state at Rajaji Hall, Sasikala looked lost even as she acknowledged the condolences of visitors.

Jayalalithaa&#39;s demise is seen as a personal loss for the 59-year-old Sasikala who was probably one of the few occupants of the chief minister&#39;s Veda Nilayam residence at Poes Garden besides assistants and officials.

Ever since Jayalalithaa was hospitalised on September 22, Sasikala remained with her, giving the ailing AIADMK supremo much needed emotional support.

The relationship between the two had kicked up many a storm during Jayalalithaa&#39;s three decades of political career with some blaming her proximity to Sasikala for the AIADMK&#39;s electoral defeats on some occasions.

Both were accused in the infamous disproportionate assets case and were convicted by a trial court in Bengaluru, though the Karnataka High court later reversed the lower court order.

Incidentally, Jayalalithaa had twice fallen out with Sasikala a few years ago for alleged anti-party activities.

She and some of her family members had been expelled from the party and asked to vacate Jayalalithaa&#39;s Poes Garden residence. However, the separation between the two was short-lived as they patched up in no time.

Sasikala then continued to accompany Jayalalithaa at various functions including the latter&#39;s election campaigns in her special vehicle, earning the sobriquet of &#39;Jayalalithaa&#39;s shadow&#39; by detractors.

Sasikala would usually be seen seated in the rear seat of the vehicle, merely watching Jayalaithaa&#39;s electoral addresses, and providing her &#39;akka&#39; (sister) with assistance.

She had come in contact with Jayalalithaa in the 80s as a video company owner, getting the leader&#39;s various events covered.

Hailing from a humble background from Mannargudi in south Tamil Nadu, &#39;Chinnamma&#39; as Sasikala was known in her circles gradually gained acceptance in the Veda Nilayam residence, and even wielded influence in AIADMK at one point of time.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Jayalalithaa's demise is seen as a personal loss for Sasikala, known as 'Jaya's shadow' or her sister 'Chinnamma'

Clad in a black saree, a sombre-looking Sasikala Natarajan, who remained a wall of support for Jayalalithaa through thick and thin, remained beside the casket of the departed leader as people filed past it paying their homage. Intermittently standing up and touching Jayalalithaa's face, which was kept in state at Rajaji Hall, Sasikala looked lost even as she acknowledged the condolences of visitors. Jayalalithaa's demise is seen as a personal loss for the 59-year-old Sasikala who was probably one of the few occupants of the chief minister's Veda Nilayam residence at Poes Garden besides assistants and officials. Ever since Jayalalithaa was hospitalised on September 22, Sasikala remained with her, giving the ailing AIADMK supremo much needed emotional support. The relationship between the two had kicked up many a storm during Jayalalithaa's three decades of political career with some blaming her proximity to Sasikala for the AIADMK's electoral defeats on some occasions. Both were accused in the infamous disproportionate assets case and were convicted by a trial court in Bengaluru, though the Karnataka High court later reversed the lower court order. Incidentally, Jayalalithaa had twice fallen out with Sasikala a few years ago for alleged anti-party activities. She and some of her family members had been expelled from the party and asked to vacate Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence. However, the separation between the two was short-lived as they patched up in no time. Sasikala then continued to accompany Jayalalithaa at various functions including the latter's election campaigns in her special vehicle, earning the sobriquet of 'Jayalalithaa's shadow' by detractors. Sasikala would usually be seen seated in the rear seat of the vehicle, merely watching Jayalaithaa's electoral addresses, and providing her 'akka' (sister) with assistance. She had come in contact with Jayalalithaa in the 80s as a video company owner, getting the leader's various events covered. Hailing from a humble background from Mannargudi in south Tamil Nadu, 'Chinnamma' as Sasikala was known in her circles gradually gained acceptance in the Veda Nilayam residence, and even wielded influence in AIADMK at one point of time. (PTI)

Sasikala stands beside Jayalalithaa's casket

Sasikala Pushpa, member of parliament (MP) in the upper house, who reportedly slapped another MP Trichy Siva at national capital Delhi&#39;s airport on Saturday, was today expelled from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a state political party, by its supremo Jayalalithaa on a day when she claimed she faced threat to her life in India&#39;s southern state of Tamil Nadu. 
 
In a brief statement, Jayalalithaa said that Sasikala, a Rajya Sabha (upper house) MP, was being expelled from all party posts, including primary membership, as she had acted in violation of the party principles and ethics for &quot;bringing disrepute to the party&quot;. 
 
&quot;Her behaviour has brought great disrepute to the party,&quot; the Tamil Nadu chief minister said in Chennai, the state capital.&nbsp; 
 
She asked party supporters not to have any truck henceforth with the Thoothukudi-based MP. 
 
Sasikala finds support in opposition&nbsp; 
 
In the upper house, Sasikala alleged she was being forced to resign from the &#39;constitutional post&#39;. 
 
She first rushed into the &#39;Well of the House&#39; to get permission to make her statement and then broke down several times as she said she faced &quot;life threat&quot; from state government and alluded to her being slapped by a &quot;leader&quot;. 
 
She, however, did not make it clear who slapped her and when. 
 
Outside the upper house, Sasikala claimed her expulsion had no link with the airport incident involving Siva, also a Rajya Sabha MP, and that pressure was being put on her for the last two months to resign. 
 
&quot;They are harassing me.&quot; 
 
She replied in the affirmative when asked whether Jayalalithaa was behind this. 
 
Sasikala also claimed that she was warned of consequences if she does not resign. 
 
Raising the issue in the upper house, she said, &quot;If an MP is being slapped by a leader, where is human dignity?&quot; triggering strong protest from members of her own party. 
 
As she found support in opposition members who wanted the chair to allow her to make her full submission, A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) walked into the well and out of it multiple times demanding that her remarks be expunged. 
 
&quot;I have life threat... I am being compelled to resign from my constitutional post,&quot; she said. &quot;Where is women&#39;s safety in this country? ... I am being harassed. I need protection. In Tamil Nadu, I don&#39;t have safety. There is threat to my life.&quot; 
 
Sasikala said she was thankful to her party leader for sending her to Rajya Sabha but &quot;if a leader can slap an MP, I need protection. I need government&#39;s protection.&quot; 
 
&quot;I want to serve the country (and not resign),&quot; she said. &quot;I am not here in Rajya Sabha for any benefit.&quot; 
 
Deputy chairman P J Kurien said the chairman was custodian of all members of the House and he will protect her too. 
 
He, however, asked her not to mention anyone&#39;s name who cannot come to the house to defend himself or herself. 
 
The aggrieved member can write to the chairman for necessary action, Kurien said. 
 
But the opposition benches broke into protest saying she should be allowed to make her full submission. Women members of Congress party moved to the aisles and vociferously raised the issue of her plight as a fellow member.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

Upper house MP Sasikala was sacked for 'bringing disrepute' to the state political party AIADMK after she alleged 'threat to life'

Sasikala Pushpa, member of parliament (MP) in the upper house, who reportedly slapped another MP Trichy Siva at national capital Delhi's airport on Saturday, was today expelled from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a state political party, by its supremo Jayalalithaa on a day when she claimed she faced threat to her life in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. In a brief statement, Jayalalithaa said that Sasikala, a Rajya Sabha (upper house) MP, was being expelled from all party posts, including primary membership, as she had acted in violation of the party principles and ethics for "bringing disrepute to the party". "Her behaviour has brought great disrepute to the party," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said in Chennai, the state capital. She asked party supporters not to have any truck henceforth with the Thoothukudi-based MP. Sasikala finds support in opposition In the upper house, Sasikala alleged she was being forced to resign from the 'constitutional post'. She first rushed into the 'Well of the House' to get permission to make her statement and then broke down several times as she said she faced "life threat" from state government and alluded to her being slapped by a "leader". She, however, did not make it clear who slapped her and when. Outside the upper house, Sasikala claimed her expulsion had no link with the airport incident involving Siva, also a Rajya Sabha MP, and that pressure was being put on her for the last two months to resign. "They are harassing me." She replied in the affirmative when asked whether Jayalalithaa was behind this. Sasikala also claimed that she was warned of consequences if she does not resign. Raising the issue in the upper house, she said, "If an MP is being slapped by a leader, where is human dignity?" triggering strong protest from members of her own party. As she found support in opposition members who wanted the chair to allow her to make her full submission, A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) walked into the well and out of it multiple times demanding that her remarks be expunged. "I have life threat... I am being compelled to resign from my constitutional post," she said. "Where is women's safety in this country? ... I am being harassed. I need protection. In Tamil Nadu, I don't have safety. There is threat to my life." Sasikala said she was thankful to her party leader for sending her to Rajya Sabha but "if a leader can slap an MP, I need protection. I need government's protection." "I want to serve the country (and not resign)," she said. "I am not here in Rajya Sabha for any benefit." Deputy chairman P J Kurien said the chairman was custodian of all members of the House and he will protect her too. He, however, asked her not to mention anyone's name who cannot come to the house to defend himself or herself. The aggrieved member can write to the chairman for necessary action, Kurien said. But the opposition benches broke into protest saying she should be allowed to make her full submission. Women members of Congress party moved to the aisles and vociferously raised the issue of her plight as a fellow member. (PTI)

Chief minister in India's Tamil Nadu expels former aide over 'anti-party activities'

sasikala

Sasikala, News on Sasikala, stories on Sasikala, articles on Sasikala, Sasikala stories at Wion, Sasikala news, Sasikala latest news