Former Jayalalitha aide VK Sasikala has announced her ‘entry’ into Tamil Nadu politics ahead of the State Assembly elections. She also predicted a landslide with for the AIADMK in the 2026 elections. The senior politician has made several unsuccessful attempts over the years to regain control of the party currently led by Edappadi K Palaniswami.
“This is the time I have been telling you, there is no need for any concern. For sure, people of Tamil Nadu are on our side…. I am very strong… it cannot be thought that the AIADMK is finished and it is because, my entry (re-entry) has commenced,” she said amid rounds of applause.
Sasikala also insisted that ‘caste based politics’ had entered the AIADMK in recent years and made note of its electoral drubbing.
The party had failed to win a single Parliamentary seat in Tamil Nadu during the recently concluded polls. Party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami however insisted that the AIADMK had improved its performance when compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
ALSO READ: TN Election Results 2024: Full list of winners in Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha polls as counting ends
Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran were expelled from the AIADMK several years ago — with former CM O Panneerselvam playing an instrumental role in raising the banner of revolt. OPS (as he is popularly known) and his supporters were later expelled from the party in July 2022 amid a power tussle against Palaniswami.
Earlier this month two OPS supporters quit his faction and announced their bid to unite the two groups. They also appealed to Palaniswami and Panneerselvam to merge their factions and strive for an united AIADMK victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
“We will attempt to speak to Palaniswami, Panneerselvam and V K Sasikala to bring about a merger as our sole objective is to unite AIADMK and make it the ruling party in the 2026 Assembly elections,” said former Villivakkam legislator JCD Prabhakar — a key Panneerselvam aide until recently.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 17 Jun 2024, 03:28 PM IST