Chennai: Decks are cleared for V.K. Sasikala, close friend of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, to take over the reins of the ruling AIADMK with party leaders openly declaring that she would be elected unanimously as general secretary of the 44-year-old Dravidian party at its general council meeting on Thursday.
“No one has submitted application to contest for the post of general secretary and chinnamma will be elected unanimously. She alone has the capacity to safeguard the party since she had been with Amma during 30 years of political life. She has all the capabilities to take over as the general secretary,” party spokesman C. Ponnaiyan told reporters.
Ministers, party headquarters functionaries, MPs, MLAs, members of the general council and executive committee, besides members from all the party wings, have been crowding the Poes Garden bungalow almost immediately after Jayalalithaa was laid to rest at the Marina on December 6, to plead with Sasikala to become party general secretary.
“Chinnamma has not given her consent so far. Nevertheless, we will unanimously pass a resolution at the general council session (December 29) electing her as the general secretary. Whether she attends the meeting or not, we will go ahead and elect her as the general secretary”, said Ponnaiyan, adding, “In fact, the general council has been convened now only to fill the top post of general secretary”.
This is the first general council meeting of the party after the demise of its charismatic leader Jayalalithaa, who had held the all-powerful position as general secretary till death. Grand preparations are on for assembling about 2,770 members including the executive members at the Vanagaram venue. There are fifty party district units in the AIADMK and all the district secretaries would ferry the general council members from their areas to the venue in buses.
The general council members include all the MLAs, MPs, headquarters secretaries, district secretaries and their deputies, besides leaders of various wings and secretaries of party units in towns and unions.
