In a dramatic announcement on Sunday, V K Sasikala, a close confidante of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, declared her return to active politics and promised to revive the AIADMK, which faced a recent electoral setback. Addressing her supporters, Sasikala emphasized that the AIADMK is far from finished and that her re-entry marks the beginning of a new era aimed at reclaiming power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Sasikala criticized the current leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami for not posing the right questions to the ruling DMK government. “If the leader of the opposition does not ask the necessary questions, I will take on the role of the opposition party and demand answers,” she asserted. She also announced plans for a state-wide tour to mobilize support and challenge the DMK government.
Without naming specific individuals, Sasikala condemned the infiltration of caste-based politics into the AIADMK, a party founded by MGR and nurtured by Jayalalithaa. She highlighted that her decision to appoint Palaniswami as Chief Minister in 2017 was based on regional representation rather than caste considerations.
Sasikala lamented the AIADMK’s poor performance in recent elections, where the party ranked third and fourth and lost deposits in several seats. Her comments seemed to be a direct criticism of Palaniswami, under whose leadership the party has faced significant setbacks.
Addressing the issue of the upcoming Vikravandi bypoll, Sasikala disagreed with the AIADMK’s decision to boycott the election, labeling it inappropriate given the current political climate. The AIADMK and DMDK have announced a boycott of the July 10 poll.
Expressing her determination to unify the AIADMK and lead it to victory, Sasikala stated, “For sure, the people of Tamil Nadu are on our side. I am very strong… it cannot be thought that the AIADMK is finished because my re-entry has commenced.” Her speech was met with rounds of applause from supporters.
Sasikala’s remarks come amidst internal strife within the AIADMK. Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers were expelled by Palaniswami, who has since become the sole leader of the party. Sasikala, along with her relatives, including TTV Dhinakaran, who founded the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, were ousted from the AIADMK years ago when Panneerselvam and Palaniswami were united.
