The AIADMK supremo won the hearts of millions, especially women, with a slew of welfare measures though she was strongly criticised for her imperious style of functioning. Her death has left her party and government at a crossroads.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, is passing through a crucial phase in its 44-year existence. The death of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who was the party’s supreme leader, at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on December 5 saw a quick transition of power. O. Panneerselvam, who was number two and Finance Minister in the Jayalalithaa Cabinet, was sworn in as Chief Minister by Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao just two hours after Jayalalithaa’s death at around 11.30 p.m.
Even as thousands of party cadres are grieving over the demise of Jayalalithaa and making a beeline for the MGR Memorial on Marina beach in Chennai, her last resting place, to pay their respects, her “surrogate sister” and aide V.K. Sasikala, who wielded enormous power in the party and the AIADMK government despite being an extra constitutional authority, is all set to become the party general secretary. Although party leaders at various levels invited her to take over the reins, the move has caused resentment among the cadres who view Sasikala as a pretender to the throne who, according to them, does not possess the necessary qualities to lead a party having 1.5 crore primary members. Grass-root workers feel she is not a charismatic mass leader like Jayalalithaa.
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