Amid high emotions, Sasikala visits memorials of Jaya, MGR and Annadurai
'I’ve offloaded the burden in my heart at Amma’s memorial. Amma lived for cadre and people of Tamil Nadu,' Sasikala said
Amid high drama, VK Sasikala paid an emotional visit to the memorials of former Tamil Nadu chief ministers J Jayalalithaa, MG Ramachandran and CN Annadurai in Chennai on Saturday, a day ahead of the golden jubilee celebration of the founding of the AIADMK.
Sasikala, a close aide of the late Jayalalithaa, who promised to “stay away from politics and public life” in March, arrived at the memorial in a car sporting the AIADMK flag. It was her first visit to the memorial since her return from jail earlier this year.
Sasikala promised the assembled party workers that the party, which suffered a humiliating defeat in the assembly election, had a “good future”.
#WATCH Former AIADMK leader VK Sasikala pays floral tribute to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at her memorial at Marina Beach, Chennai pic.twitter.com/FainvE184X
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2021
“I am confident MGR and Jayalalithaa would have saved the cadre and the party. There is good future,” she said.
At Jayalalithaa’s memorial, Sasikala was seen dabbing her eyes as she stood amid a sea of supporters.
Also read: Don’t talk to Sasikala: AIADMK gags cadres, warns of stern action
“I’ve offloaded the burden in my heart at Amma’s memorial. Amma lived for cadre and people of Tamil Nadu,” she said.
“I have never been after power or position even when Jaya was alive. Won’t do that after she is dead. I am staying away from politics to ensure continuation of AIADMK’s ‘golden rule’ in Tamil Nadu,” Sasikala had said in a letter ahead of the assembly polls.
Sasikala became party chief after Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016, and tried to become the chief minister. But she was handed a four-year jail term for corruption in the disproportionate assets case in which Jayalalithaa was the prime accused.
Before she left for jail she handpicked Edappadi K Palaniswami, or EPS, to become CM. He had unseated the then deputy CM, O Panneerselvam, or OPS, after he rebelled against Sasikala’s claim, to take over.
EPS and OPS later came together and had her removed from the post.
