How Sasikala's Release Will Impact The AIADMK-BJP Alliance
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-01-20 10:36:28
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The imminent release of Sasikala from jail has added spice to the political situation in Tami Nadu ahead of the assembly elections expected to be held in April. Sasikala is to be released in a couple of days as she will pay a fine of Rs 10 crore in the disproportionate assets case for which she has been in jail for the last four years.
Chief Minister E K Paliniswami has categorically ruled out
readmitting Sasikala to the AIADMK. When asked, Paliniswami said "no chance for that. She is not in the party at all. 100 per cent
she will not be admitted. AIADMK is now functioning after clearly deciding on
this. There is no different opinion on this." Paliniswami knows
that Sasikala still wields tremendous influence over a section of the party.
But will keeping her out solve matters?
Also, reports are doing the rounds that the BJP
wants Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran to merge their party, the AMMK,
with the AIADMK to prevent the division of votes. The AMMK had got 5 percent of
the votes in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and can influence the results in many
assembly constituencies. The BJP wants the AMMK to be a part its alliance with
the AIADMK and several other smaller parties. Paliniswami visited Delhi to
sound out Modi and Shah on this issue but it is not known what transpired in
the meeting.
It is clear that the AIADMK is facing a resurgent
DMK (especially after charges of corruption on many of its leaders have not
been proven) and is also facing huge anti-incumbency. Hence, the BJP wants to seal
deals with all parties that can bring the alliance back to power. But the
present setup in the AIADM is not comfortable with either Sasikala or
Dhinakaran. It remains to be seen how the BJP convinces them and what deal it
strikes with Sasikala.
