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Sasikala vs O.Panneerselvam

February 8, 2017 | Expert Insights

The fight for Jayalalithaa's legacy in Tamil Nadu is out in the open with two of her most trusted aides slugging it out. O Panneerselvam shocked everyone with his sudden revolt against VK Sasikala, who stayed with the late CM for nearly 30 years. Sasikala Natarajan was appointed as the general secretary of India's regional AIADMK party on 29 January, replacing J Jayalalitha, who died in December after a prolonged illness.

On February 5, Panneerselvam resigned as Tamil Nadu CM paving the way for Sasikala to take charge. However, things changed dramatically in a couple of days. He arrived unannounced at Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai on 8thFebruary and addressed the media saying "Jayalalithaa's soul called out to me, so I came here to search my conscious. Also, I want to tell some truth to the people of this country and party cadre."

Throw Back

This is not for the first time that the southern state is witnessing a crisis involving the AIADMK. The current situation has certainly brought back memories of 1987 turmoil. The famous old Tamil actor MGR, turned-politician who founded Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), passed away in 1987. ADMK was divided over who would head the party after MGR's death. While one faction wanted Janaki Ramachandran, MGR's widow to lead, other wanted Jayalalithaa, who was considered close to the leader, to take over the command.

Tamil Nadu politics has witnessed dramatic scenes in the last 24 hours and there's more in store. People of Tamil Nadu are now wondering what is the next step. Will Sasikala rule or will Panneerselvam take the throne back.