In a dramatic political move, V.K. Sasikala has announced the launch of her own political party, marking a decisive break from the AIADMK leadership and directly targeting Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Addressing a gathering in Kamudhi in Ramanathapuram district, Sasikala accused Palaniswami of betrayal and claimed there had been attempts on her life during her imprisonment.
The former interim general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and close confidante of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said she had played a key role in elevating Palaniswami to the Chief Minister’s post, only to be sidelined later. She declared that the name of her new party would be announced at a later date but made it clear that it would function on Dravidian principles.
‘I Made Him Chief Minister’
Recalling the political turmoil that followed Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, Sasikala said she had reluctantly accepted the post of interim general secretary and had considered taking over as Chief Minister only after repeated persuasion from party ministers and MLAs. She asserted that former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam had not committed any wrongdoing during that critical phase.
Sasikala maintained that she had secured the support of party legislators and ensured the appointment of Edappadi K. Palaniswami as Chief Minister before her imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case.
However, she alleged that once she was jailed, the present AIADMK leadership gradually distanced itself from her and ultimately betrayed her trust.
Without naming Palaniswami directly at several points in her speech, Sasikala accused the current leadership of selfishness and of abandoning long-time loyalists. She said senior party figures and grassroots workers who had stood by the movement for decades were now being ignored.
Allegations Murder Bid
In a startling claim, Sasikala alleged that there were conspiracies to shift her from prisons in Karnataka to a jail in Chennai under the influence of then AIADMK ministers. She suggested that such a move was part of a larger plan to endanger her life, adding that she might not have survived to launch her new party had those plans succeeded.
Her remarks appeared aimed at reigniting old fault lines within the AIADMK and questioning the motives of those who took control of the party during her incarceration.
New Flag, Familiar Faces
At the Kamudhi event, Sasikala unveiled her party’s tricolour flag featuring black, white, and red — colours closely associated with the Dravidian movement. The flag prominently displays the images of C. N. Annadurai, M. G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa at its centre, signalling her attempt to claim ideological continuity with the Dravidian stalwarts.
She said her new political outfit would follow the path laid down by these leaders and would remain committed to social justice, welfare of the poor, and upliftment of the downtrodden.
Promises ‘Befitting Response’
Projecting confidence ahead of future elections, Sasikala declared that her party would contest polls and deliver a “befitting response” to political opponents as well as to those who had betrayed her. She said the time had come to launch a fresh political movement dedicated to the people of Tamil Nadu.
With this announcement, Sasikala has formally entered the electoral fray once again, setting the stage for a fresh realignment in the state’s opposition politics and intensifying the battle for control over the Dravidian legacy.