Sasikala role led to split?
The alliance between the AIADMK and the DMDK of matinee idol-turned-politician Vijayakanth in Tamil Nadu may have come to an end a few days ago after a heated exchange in the Assembly between chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and Opposition Leader Vijayakanth. But, in any case, the tie-up would not have survived after the expulsion of Jaya’s confidante and aide Ms Sasikala and her family members from the primary membership of the party.
According to sources, Jaya, after the ouster of Ms Sasikala from her Poes Garden residence, ordered her trusted officials to inquire about the dealings of her estranged friend and to her surprise, apart from other things, she came to know that her former confidante had been maintaining a cordial relationship with Mr Vijayakanth’s wife Premalatha Vijayakanth.
Ms Prema had apparently promised to support any arrangement of Ms Sasikala, should there be a break in the AIADMK, in the event of Ms Jayalalithaa getting convicted in the disproportionate assets case that is currently on in Bengaluru, sources said. DMDK has 29 MLAs in the state Assembly. It contested 41 seats in the 2011 Assembly polls. AIADMK has 147 in a house of 236 seats. It contested in 160 constituencies.
The “Mannargudi Mafia” as the Sasikala clan is derogatorily referred to was given the marching orders by Jaya after reportedly being warned by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, during their meeting in Chennai, that she needs to be cautious with Ms Sasikala and her family.
The AIADMK-DMDK coalition informally came to an end in October last after both the parties decided to part ways and contest the local body polls independent of each other.
But the formal association between AIADMK and DMDK broke down after the spat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly between the leaders of both the parties during a discussion on hike in fares of buses and an increase in price of milk.
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