AIADMK may have to amend by-laws to elevate Sasikala

CHENNAI: V.K. Sasikala, the long-time confidante of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, may be strongly favoured by several AIADMK leaders and office-bearers to become its general secretary, but the existing provisions of the party’s constitution are not in her favour.

She does not fulfil the rule of mandatory five-year uninterrupted primary membership of the party to contest for any party post. Section 30 (5) of the AIADMK Rules and Regulations amended in February 2007 states: “Those who want to contest for the post of office-bearers in the organisation should have been member of the party for five years without any break.”

However, party sources say should Ms. Sasikala agree to run for the top post, there is one way the rule can be overcome — if it is considered as a special case by the Executive Committee.

“The decision of the Executive Committee should be later ratified by the General Council. The newly-elected general secretary can later uphold the decisions of the Executive Committee and the General Council,” a party leader well-versed with the AIADMK’s constitution told The Hindu on Sunday.

There are about 70 to 80 members who are part of the Executive Committee, including senior party leaders and Ministers, district unit secretaries and senior functionaries. In the General Council, there are about 2,000 members. Besides the 1,500 elected members in the General Council, special invitees and nominees are its members.

Expelled in 2011

Ms. Sasikala, who was an AIADMK member, along with her husband M. Natarajan and other close relatives was expelled from the primary membership of the party in December 2011, when she sent out of Jayalalithaa’s ‘Veda Nilayam’ residence in Poes Garden as well. The then general secretary (Jayalalithaa) had asked the partymen not to have any contact with Ms. Sasikala and the other expelled members. There was no specific reason given for the expulsion.

After Ms. Sasikala’s apologised to Jayalalithaa, she was re-admitted into the party, though the exact date is not known. What was made public is that in April 2012, Jayalalithaa had welcomed her back to her household.

Assuming that Ms. Sasikala was given the party’s membership the same month, she has only completed four-and-a-half years as a member. She does not fulfil the rule of mandatory five-year uninterrupted primary membership of party to contest.

(The article was published in The Hindu on December 12, 2016)

'Sasikala's emergence more of a compromise'

CHENNAI: Even as senior political leaders within the AIADMK are openly pleading with V.K. Sasikala, the “surrogate sister” of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, to take over the mantle of the party leadership, some political commentators feel this gesture is more a compromise than a consensus.

According to Professor Ramu Manivannan, who teaches at the Department of Politics and Public Administration in the University of Madras, the foremost concern of senior party leaders, MLAs and the Ministers would be to remain in their posts for the remaining tenure of four-and-a-half years of the government.

“There is a leadership crisis within the party. People within the party do not have an alternative. Naturally, it is the survival instincts which are behind their decisions. It (senior leaders’ public support to Sasikala) is more a compromise than any kind of consensus,” he contends.

“Her leadership would be put to test only when she leads her party in electoral politics. None of the MLAs or Ministers would want to forego their power and stand in an election which they are not sure of who would win it for them.”

But, for journalist and political commentator ‘Gnani’ Sankaran, the developments within the AIADMK haven’t come as a surprise. He says leaders from other political parties, senior AIADMK leaders and the media always knew Ms. Sasikala was acting from behind the scenes even when Jayalalithaa was alive.

“The only difference is while earlier Sasikala was taking decisions in the shadow of Jayalalithaa without any accountability, now she would be taking decisions and would be accountable for them,” he says.

It is a well-known fact that Ms. Sasikala was holding discussions with all political parties over alliance or other issues and Jayalalithaa would only come for the photo opportunity, he quips.

Replying to a query on grass-root level AIADMK workers’ accepting Ms. Sasikala as their leader, he says, “katchi thondan (cadre) is only an emotional slave of the party. What is needed now is to appeal to his emotions and that is already being done.”

The real test

Another commentator says the equals (leaders) within the party are rallying behind a more than equal — Ms. Sasikala. “The local body polls in Tamil Nadu would be the real test for Sasikala’s leadership. The grass-root level party workers support to her or the absence of it can be ascertained only in the future.”

Asked whether Ms. Sasikala had sufficient knowledge of issues facing the State, he says, “She didn’t get an opportunity to air her comments on various issues. But as the (probable) general secretary of the party, she would be able to air her opinions in the future.”

(The article was published in The Hindu on December 12, 2016)

Jayalalithaa laid to rest

Dramatic scenes in Rajaji Hall where thousands thronged to catch a glimpse of Amma for one last time

CHENNAI: Shock, grief, disbelief and a sense of being orphaned engulfed several thousand partymen, who thronged Rajaji Hall in the Omandurar Government Estate campus on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Puratchi Thalaivi Amma for one last time.

Anxious party cadre arrived at the estate well before sunrise, and as soon as the ambulance carrying the body of Jayalalithaa entered the campus, screamed “Amma, Amma” inconsolably. Earlier in the day, the body was taken to Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence, ‘Veda Nilayam’, from the Apollo Hospitals before being brought to Rajaji Hall for public viewing.

Draped in the national flag, the mortal remains of the leader was displayed on the porch of the historic Rajaji Hall. Though a section of partymen objected to, and even hurled abuses at, Jayalalithaa’s long-time confidante Sasikala, she continued to remain in close proximity to the body.

Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who was mentored by Jayalalithaa and has taken over the reins of government for the third time, stood distraught. Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu was among the first to arrive at the hall and soon after, leaders cutting across party lines followed to pay homage to the AIADMK general secretary.

At times, when those paying homage inadvertently blocked its view, the crowd grew impatient and shouted and waved their arms, signalling people to move. Wave after wave of mourners attempted to push past the police barricades, beating their chests, screaming and crying, while the police, in a human chain, pushed back resolutely.

Much of the crowd held their mobile phones high, while others waved party flags till the end of the proceedings.

When the crowd grew restless earlier on Tuesday afternoon, the police had to use their lathis to bring them under control.

On several occasions, the crowd was so uncontrollable that the enthusiastic party supporters had to be firmly handled in order to avoid stampedes. Grief-stricken party supporters aside, there was excitement among a section of the crowd when popular actors arrived to pay homage.

When it was time for the military personnel to lift the body and place it on an open vehicle, the screams grew louder.

As the procession took to the road, partymen and supporters threw flower petals and raised slogans.

Almost all buildings in the path of the procession on the Wallajah Road had hundreds of onlookers on the terrace, windows, balconies and every other space available to bid adieu to the leader.

It took an hour for the procession to reach the MGR Memorial, where arrangements were in place for the funeral.

With several thousand people watching the live telecast of the funeral from across the country and beyond, and several hundred partymen shouting “Puratchi Thalaivi Amma engal uyir!”, the mortal remains of Jayalalithaa was finally lowered into the pit with full State honours.

(The article was published in The Hindu on December 7, 2016 with inputs from colleagues)