The ruling AIADMK spokesperson on Thursday confirmed that late Jayalalithaa’s aide Sasikala Natarajan will be the next General Secretary of the party.
It is clear that Chinnamma (Sasikala) will be the next Gen Secy of party: C Ponnaiyan, AIADMK Spokesperson
— ANI (@ANI_news) December 15, 2016
Last week, AIADMK had announced that the senior leaders of the party has urged former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s closest aide Sasikala Natarajan to lead the party.
Senior functionaries of AIADMK urge Thirumathi Sasikala to lead the party on the path shown by Puratchi Thalaivi Amma.
— AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) December 10, 2016
Known as one of the closest aides of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala was with her for all the 74 days that she was admitted at 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.
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.
After Jayalalithaa’s death speculations were rife that Sasikala might be the General Secretary of the party. Some even said that she might inherit Jayalalithaa’s Poes garden bungalow.
It was her husband who had asked an IAS turned politician VS Chandralekha to introduce Sasikala to Jayalalithaa. Jayalalithaa was working as the Propaganda Secretary of the AIADMK when Sasikala first met Jayalalithaa in 1980. They eventually became really close and Sasikala even started living with Jayalalithaa.
Jaylalithaa’s loyal understudy, O Pannerselvam was sworn in as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister after Jayalalithaa passed away on 4 December. O Panneerselvam who is now the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu held his first Cabinet meet in Chennai last week.
