Video: Sasikala released from jail. Here are her political options

“Chinamma is coming back, we will form Amma’s government in Tamil Nadu,” said TTV Dhinakaran when he visited his aunt VK Sasikala after the formalities for her release from Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru were completed. While Sasikala will continue to stay in Victoria Hospital for a few more days before she makes her way back to Chennai after almost four years, her political rivals and allies will be looking closely to see what her next move will be.

 

For someone who has been locked away in prison, completely out of action at a time when Tamil Nadu politics has been in a constant state of flux, Sasikala might not have too many options. But people close to her believe she will not throw in the towel easily and will weigh her options to see how she can make a comeback.

 

Though she has received a setback healthwise, Sasikala may not want to wait and allow the current leadership of AIADMK-EPS and OPS to further cement their place. Sasikala could immediately start opening channels of communications with leaders who had openly supported her in the past. Given that she had worked closely with former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Sasikala will be well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of all the leaders and use it to her advantage,

 

Her other option would be to try and bolster her nephew TTV Dhinakaran’s party AMMK. While Sasikala cannot contest elections currently, she can campaign but that too will be hampered by an appeal pending in the Supreme Court for a plea for the right to use the two leaf symbol of the AIADMK.

 

Her final option would be to tie up with the BJP and help the NDA in Tamil Nadu by not jeopardising the AIADMK and being a part of an AIADMK-BJP-AMMK alliance, much like what S Gurumurthy suggested a few days ago.

 

Watch TNM's Deputy Editor Pooja Prasanna explain Sasikala's options. 

 

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