Tamil Nadu: Sasikala Natarajan to be AIADMK's general secretary after Jayalalithaa

Sasikala Natarajan, close aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, will be the AIADMK’s next general secretary, according to reports. C Ponnaiyan, AIADMK Spokesperson, told ANI “it is clear that Chinnamma (Sasikala) will be the next Gen Secy of party”.

It is clear that Chinnamma (Sasikala) will be the next Gen Secy of party: C Ponnaiyan, AIADMK Spokesperson

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2016

Ponnaiyan at a brief press meet in Chennai on Thursday told reporters that ‘Chinnamma’ (Sasikala) will be elected the next General Secretary of the party, according to sources. The News Minute, in a report, corroborates the decision. In the press conference, which was held outside the MGR memorial where Jayalalithaa has been laid to rest, Ponnaiyan further said that it was the “desire of the entire party that Chinnamma should become the General Secretary. Chinnamma has functioned as the conscience of Amma,” The News Minute report quoted the AIADMK functionary as saying. [caption id=“attachment_3148582” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file image of Sasikala and Jayalalithaa. PTI[/caption] However, the party spokesman also added that Sasikala is yet to give her consent to becoming the AIADMK General Secretary. “Party members are requesting her to take over the mantle. She is patiently hearing them out. She has not given any indication about standing for the party post,” party spokesman C Ponnaiyan told IANS. According to him, Sasikala seems to be of the view that there should be unanimity among AIADMK members on her becoming the General Secretary, a post that was held by Jayalalithaa. After more than a week of mild speculation as to who would take over the reins of the party, with even Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam strongly backing Sasikala, it looks like the party has taken a final decision. Panneerselvam said that Sasikala shared Jayalalithaa’s grief, she lived with her as her trusted aide and was like a sister and that she lived like Jayalalithaa’s shadow “till Amma’s death”. “To fill the void in the party created by the demise of Amma, AIADMK senior party leaders and ministers have urged Chinnamma to take on the mantle of general secretary,” Panneerselvam said. Since Jayalalithaa’s passing away on 5 December, the chief minister, ministers and other top officials have been regularly trooping in and out of the former’s Poes Garden residence, meeting with Sasikala, reports claim. With inputs from PTI and IANS