VK Sasikala made her first public appearance on Monday after taking over as the AIADMK chief. A video made as a tribute to the late ‘Amma’ moved several people including Sasikala to tears. She was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam at the India Today Conclave in Chennai. Sasikala inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp followed by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
In a conversation with India Today’s Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal, Sasikala remembered her closest aide Late Jayalalithaa and said how would Amma have felt if she would have been alive. She said,”Amma would have enjoyed attending the conclave if she would have been alive”.
A special photo exhibition on Tamil Nadu’s former CM Jayalalithaa inaugurated by AIADMK Gen Secy Sasikala
LIVE at https://t.co/BsBzLNFW4z pic.twitter.com/N87XhRLKTE— India Today (@IndiaToday) January 9, 2017
Making the opening remarks at the event, TN chief minister O Panneerselvam also remembered Amma and said that he will continue her work in the state.
On December 29, Sasiskala was appointed as the general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a position held by Jayalalithaa for over three decades. Having no strong opponents or other contestants to the post, Sasikala had no threat to her elevation to the top post.
Known as one of the closest aides of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala was with her for all the 74 days that she was admitted to the Apollo hospital in Chennai. Also, Sasikala does not hold any party position, yet her closeness with the AIADMK chief kept her in the limelight. While Sasikala has never held any party position, her closeness with Jayalalithaa had given her prime importance in the AIADMK.
Even during Amma’s funeral procession, Sasikala was seen right next to the late CM’s mortal remains for the entire duration when thousands gathered to pay final respects to late Jayalalithaa.
