AA Edit | Damp squib Sasikala

For all those who were expecting political fireworks in Tamil Nadu when V.K. Sasikala, the erstwhile confidante of late J. Jayalalithaa, drove down to Chennai on February 8, it was a damp squib when she suddenly called it quits on Wednesday night. There was speculation that she would make a political impact. She, too, was trying to live up to that image by making statements, addressing cadre and even celebrating Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary with pomp and fanfare.

So, coming like a bolt from the blue, her decision triggered a whole range of conjectures since people saw in it a conjuncture of two political events. One, the BJP desperately trying to force the AIADMK to patch up with Ms Sasikala, and AIADMK leaders digging in their heels refusing to let her or her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran into their fold. Since the BJP’s intelligence was that Ms Sasikala and Mr Dhinakaran could take away some votes that would otherwise come to its coalition, it first put pressure on AIADMK and then on Ms Sasikala, asking her to scoot. Why this supposition found more takers in the state was because the people know Ms Sasikala as a power-hungry, diabolic operator who would not easily let go any opportunity to rule.

Also, when it is known that she cannot stand for election for another six years, what was the need to announce that she was leaving the turf? Besides, since her landing in Chennai, she had not made any significant breakthrough politically, other than having a few guests like actor Seeman, actor Sarathkumar and his wife Radhika and film director Bharathiraja. So, why should she say that she will pray and not play politics? Because the powers that be want her to not even be seen in the reckoning. It’s a different matter that Bharathiraja spotted in her a “brave Tamil woman” not ashamed of going to jail and facing party cadre with fortitude.