NEW DELHI: Close friend and confidante of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Sasikala Natarajan has formally taken over as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's general secretary. Breaking down while speaking about her mentor in her address to AIADMK party workers, Sasikala said, "Amma is not with us now but our party will rule here for the next 100 years."
Unanimously chosen to lead the ruling state party, Sasikala said Jaya had struggled for 75 days, before God called his beloved child to him. She said she had been with the former chief minister since she was 29 and that she was her "life". She added that she will follow Jaya's directions while leading the party, and that the party's cadre were its strength, and she was confident they will support her. The new party chief also announced that the AIADMK founder and former TN chief minister, M G Ramamchandran's centenary birth anniversary celebrations will be organised throughout the year. The party will demand the Centre to release a stamp and a commemoration coin in honour of MGR.
After being appointed the chief of the AIADMK, there has now been noise about Sasi becoming the head of government, a top party leader said. M Thambidurai, member of the Lok Sabha, said it's unwise for the party and government to have separate power centres. "Governments have lost their credibility among the people, when the leadership of the party and the leadership of the government was in the hands of two different persons," he said. After Jaya's death, O Panneerselvam, 65, replaced her as Chief Minister. While he was supportive of Sasi becoming the party chief, he hasn't commented yet on the call for him to step down for 'Chinamma'.
Revenue Minister Udayakumar launched the campaign asking for Sasikala to become Chief Minister and denied an unsubtle revolt against Panneerselvam saying, "Mr Panneerselvam is a symbol of loyalty in the party and he was the first person to ask Chinamma to become Chief Minister."
