On January 31, as she got into the Toyota Land Cruiser bearing the ruling AIADMK party flag, once used by close friend and former chief minister Jayalalithaa, V.K. Sasikala sent out a strong political message. Sasikala’s release from the prison, just months before the crucial Assembly polls, and her using the AIADMK flag, have sent shock waves down the spine of the AIADMK. When her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran announced a small change in her return plans, saying she will come to Chennai on February 8 instead of February 7, the AIADMK ministers swung into action.
A swarm of senior leaders and ministers, including the ruling AIADMK law minister C. Ve. Shanmugam and Rajya Sabha MP K.P. Munusamy, filed a complaint with state DGP J.K. Tripathy against Sasikala for “illegally” using the AIADMK party flag. “Sasikala has no right to use the AIADMK flag. She is not even a member of the party,” said Munusamy after filing the complaint. Accompanying Munusamy was a team led by the party’s presidium chairman E. Madhusoodhanan, Fisheries Minister and AIADMK’s official spokesperson D. Jayakumar, former minister Natham R. Viswanathan, and T Nagar MLA Sathya. “The Supreme Court itself has passed an order saying that she is not a member of the party. In that case, how can she use our party flag,” asked Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam, reiterating that “only AIADMK office-bearers can use the flag”.
However, Shanmugam’s argument on the court's assertion raises many legal questions. The petitions filed by Sasikala in the Madras High Court with regard to her being removed as the interim general secretary of the party, and the legal fight over the 'two-leaves symbol', are still pending. On November 2, 2017, Sasikala approached the Madras High Court, citing the decision by the AIADMK general council to remove her as the interim general secretary of the party. In the petition, she said that the decision of the general council meeting held on September 12, 2017 to expel her and appoint new office bearers was invalid. In an interim order on the petition, the Madras High Court ordered the AIADMK headquarters in-charge to secure and protect all records leading to the elevation Sasikala as the general secretary. “The case is pending in the court. So, she has all the rights to use the party flag,” says her lawyer Raja Senthoor Pandian.
In the two-leaves symbol case, which was frozen by the O. Panneerselvam faction during his 'dharmayudha' days, the Election Commission of India had ordered that the party name and symbol can be used by the group in the party led by Madhusoodhanan. Incidentally, Madhusoodhanan, who was with OPS earlier, joined hands with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami and others when the OPS and EPS factions merged. “The law minister’s statement is completely wrong. Sasikala has all the rights,” said Senthoor Pandian.
When asked if the ruling AIADMK is scared of Sasikala’s return, Minister Jayakumar said, "She is not a member of our party." Apparently, in the last few days, several hundred posters and banners welcoming Sasikala has been put up by the AIADMK cadres and district office-bearers in various districts in South and North Tamil Nadu. The party had even expelled at least 10 office-bearers in the past week for putting up posters hailing Sasikala.
On the other side, the Dhinakaran camp is all set to extend a rousing welcome to Sasikala, popularly called as “Chinnamma”. One of the AMMK party members, C. Jayanthi Pathmanaban from Vellore, has approached the district collector seeking permission to use helicopters to shower flower petals on Sasikala as she returns to Chennai. Sources close to Sasikala family say that there are plans to make her hoist AIADMK party flags in multiple locations. After reaching Chennai, Sasikala is expected to stay at her niece J. Krishna Priya’s house in T Nagar. Sources say that many AIADMK senior leaders, including several ministers and sitting MLAs from South Tamil Nadu, are likely to call on Sasikala based on the political situation.
However, the complaint to the DGP has only spelt out how her return has shaken up the existing equations in the party. The 66-year old close aide of Jayalalithaa seems to have the entire AIADMK camp in jitters.
