Chennai, December 29: Sasikala Natarajan officially becomes ‘Chinamma’ as she gets elected the AIADMK General secretary following the footsteps of J. Jayalalithaa. The decision was taken at the AIADMK annual general body meeting that took place today. With attendance from senior rank bearers of the AIADMK including Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, the meeting was the first high-profile conclave of the AIADMK after the tragic demise of former Chief Minister and the party’s pillar of strength J. Jayalalithaa.
Amma’s death had, however, brought along with it a fierce struggle for power along with it. Playing tug of war were two Sasikala’s, Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala Natarajan and expelled party MP Sasikala Pushpa. Only yesterday, Pushpa’s husband and lawyer were roughed up outside AIADMK headquarters in Chennai. The assault happened after party workers deemed that Lingeswaran Thilagan (Pushpa’s husband) and her lawyers, were assisting the expelled Rajya Sabha MP in contesting and winning the election to the post of general secretary in today’s Annual General Body meeting. The post was earlier held byJ Jayalalithaa herself and is the supreme post in the party.
However, speculations had previously indicated that Jayalalithaa’s long-time aide would indeed win the topmost position of General Secretary within the AIADMK and Thursday’s annual general body meeting proved it to be true. Sasikala Pushpa’s main contention, which she has put forth to the Madras High Court had been that Natarajan was ineligible for the general secretary’s post since she was not an AIADMK member for the past five years as stipulated. She had been expelled in 2011 and then reinstated in 2012.
The AGM that began at 9.30am at the Srivaru Kalyana Mandapam in Vanagaram, Chennai today, however, proved that Chinamma ultimately conquered the battle. Time will tell whether she will become the next queen to rule the roost of Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK.
