Party brass will decide on Sasikala's return, says AIADMK top leader OPS

AIADMK top leader O Panneerselvam on Monday said the party leadership would hold discussions and take a decision on re-admitting V K Sasikala, confidante of late CM J Jayalalithaa, in the party

AIADMK top leader O Panneerselvam on Monday said the party leadership would hold discussions and take a decision on re-admitting V K Sasikala, confidante of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, in the party.

While Sasikala, declaring herself as AIADMK general secretary, is taking several steps to regain control of the party, the remark of OPS assumes significance especially when his colleague and party co-coordinator K Palaniswami had days ago firmly ruled out scope for her return.

Panneerselvam, when asked about Sasikala's political moves, told reporters at Madurai that anyone may join politics but to accept them or not is in the hands of the people.

To a pointed question on whether the AIADMK would accept her back into the party, he said it would be discussed.

OPS, who is also the party coordinator, said the AIADMK is a cadre-based party since the days of party founder M G Ramachandran and the party is being run now based on an organisational structure comprising a coordinator and co-coordinator.

As regards inducting Sasikala again into the party, the AIADMK brass and the top level office-bearers would deliberate on the matter and take a decision, he said.

AIADMK senior leader D Jayakumar told reporters in Chennai that it was Panneerselvam who had launched a 'Dharma Yudham' against Sasikala and her clan in 2017.

Severing ties with Sasikala was a precondition put forth by Panneerselvam for unification of camps led by him and former Chief Minister Palaniswami, he said.

To a question on vigilance searches by the DMK regime and connected matters, Panneerselvam hit out at the ruling party.

Panneerselvam said expression of political views should be dignified, in sync with political decorum and in keeping with the 'Duty, dignity and discipline' dictum of Dravidian ideologue C N Annadurai, adding this was among the AIADMK's core values.

"On that basis, be it a party worker or one holding a lofty position, however high it may be, one should speak in a dignified manner and with political decency," he said, without naming anyone.