Return game

Palaniswami and Panneerselvam have joined hands to thwart Sasikala, but there is no guarantee that the truce will hold

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

On May 29, more than four months after her release from prison, expelled AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala broke the silence about her political future. She started releasing a series of voice clips of her phone conversations with AIADMK workers in which she could be heard reassuring them that she would soon return to active politics. “The party was built with great difficulty during the days of Thalaivar (M.G. Ramachandran) and Amma (J. Jayalalithaa). I cannot watch it wilt away,” said Sasikala.

Sources said Sasikala selected the candidates for her phone outreach from nearly a lakh AIADMK workers who wrote to her after her release. A handful of them were chosen after careful vetting by her team. As the clips became viral, AIADMK deputy coordinator K.P. Munusamy questioned Sasikala’s intentions and pointed out that she was not a party member. “All is well with the party. Someone wants to create confusion, but our cadres are very much aware of this,” he said.

As Sasikala released more voice clips, AIADMK leaders said those featured in the conversations were members of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) floated by her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran. Sasikala responded by sharing the membership cards of the AIADMK workers she was talking to.

With Sasikala stepping up her political game, the rift between senior AIADMK leaders Edappadi K. Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam is back in the spotlight. A week after the assembly elections, supporters of both leaders fought over the main parking space at the party headquarters, which was always used by Panneerselvam. When Palaniswami parked his car there, it was challenged by Panneerselvam’s supporters.