BJP in wait and watch mode over AIADMK fight
A face-off between Sasikala, present AIADMK leadership brewing
image for illustrative purpose
Even as the AIADMK is training its guns on estranged former interim general secretary of the party, VK Sasikala, its alliance partner BJP is adopting a wait and watch approach in this battle.
Sasikala reached Chennai in a cavalcade of 1,000 cars from Bengaluru following her release from the Bangalore Central prison after serving a four-year jail term in the disproportionate assets case. She was in the process of extensively campaigning in the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections for the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), a political outfit floated by her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and mainly focusing on her caste, the Thevar community, which has a strong presence in south Tamil Nadu.
Political observers are of the opinion that by pitching in with the AMMK and winning a few seats, she was planning to barge into the AIADMK to take control of the party. However, with both Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and O Panneerselvam (OPS) strongly opposing any patch-up with Sasikala and the AMMK, she announced that she was quitting active politics and would pray for the return of the 'Golden Rule of Amma (Jayalalithaa)' in Tamil Nadu. That statement was taken with a pinch of salt by political leaders, analysts and journalists.
MK Manoj, a former journalist with a leading Tamil daily in Chennai, said, "Sasikala was in the process of coming back to the centrestage of Tamil Nadu politics, an arena which she dominated for several years during the Jaya regime. Unfortunately, she failed to read the writing on the wall that she was persona non grata for the AIADMK and didn't have a place in the party."
He said that both EPS and OPS had made good inroads among the party cadres and middle level functionaries while she was in jail. With the party in power, many of the small demands of the cadres were met by these two leaders and their party colleagues, effectively creating a new support base in the party.
"Sasikala announced her retirement from politics after a message from the BJP central leadership and hence she had kept quiet," said Manoj.
The central BJP leadership did not want her to spoil the party for the AIADMK by splitting votes in the 'Thevar' strongholds. However, the AIADMK and BJP combine lost the assembly elections.
After several days of campaigning, the AMMK had eaten into the vote bank of the AIADMK in several constituencies. Sasikala, according to people close to her, was made certain promises by the BJP in return for maintaining a low profile - so that there were no hiccups in the AIADMK-BJP election plans. But with the AMMK in the fray, Thevar votes were divided.
