Will Jayalalithaa's aide Sasikala Natarajan take over as the General Secretary or the leader of the AIADMK? Senior AIADMK leader C Ponnaiyan says the party will act in a democratic manner and call for a general body meeting. The members of the General body will then decide the leader, according to Ponnaiyan.
He said AIADMK is a democratic party and it will be a unanimous decision, while addressing a press meet in Chennai on Saturday.
"MGR and Amma aatma will guide us in selecting new the general secretary and there is no competition for this post", he said.
He added that reports of dissent and issues within the party are all false, and the media was just putting out baseless rumours. Another senior leader Sengottaiyan too had spoken out on Friday claiming that there was no dissent in the party and he would file cases against those spreading rumours that he was unhappy.
In the past three days, TN CM O Pannerselvam, top ministers and police officers have held meetings with Sasikala at Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence. There has been much criticism over ministers and police officers paying obeisance to Sasikala.
Ponnaiyan said there was nothing wrong in the CM, ministers, DGP and Chief Secretary going to Poes Garden.
"Why can't they meet Sasikala Amma? What is wrong in meeting her? She is an important person in the party. The CM is part of the government, but he is also part of the party. The party's affairs have to go on and he needs to discuss about the party," he said. (Currently, Sasikala holds no posts in the party).
To the question of whether Jayalalithaa has left a will, there is no answer yet to this, he said.
"AIADMK is a united family and like a banyan tree. The cadre is angry with Sasikala and family hogging the limelight", he added.
He further said that as to the role that Natarajan will play in the party, these are all unnecessary questions at this point.
With AIADMK leaders making a beeline to declare Sasikala as an important leader, it seems the party is all set to declare her as the next chief of the party.