Sasikala quits politics ahead of TN polls; has important message for followers [read]

With the possibility of her reentry into the ruling AIADMK party shut at least now, V.K.Sasikala, the close aide of Tamil Nadu's late Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Wednesday announced her decision to keep away from politics.

In a statement issued here, Sasikala said she would keep herself away from politics and would pray to God and also to late Jayalalithaa for the establishment of 'Amma' government in the state.

In AIADMK and political circles, the term Amma denotes Jayalalithaa.

Sasikala also urged Jayalalithaa's followers to work hard to establish the Amma government in the state.

However, her statement did not explicitly urge the cadres of AIADMK party to work hard to establish the party's rule again for the third time in the state.

Sasikala's return from jail and politics

Sasikala who was jailed in a corruption case for four years in Bengaluru, came out recently and has been claiming to be the General Secretary of the ruling AIADMK.

She had the AIADMK party flag on the car in which she had traveled from Bengaluru to here.

Soon after her release from jail, Sasikala had said that she would get into politics.

The BJP had tried to bring her into AIADMK or the AMMK party floated by her nephew T.T.V.Dhinakaran into the AIADMK led coalition.

However, Chief Minister K.Palaniswami and others had opposed her reentry into the party.

Soon after Jayalalithaa's death, all the AIADMK party leaders had requested to become the party's General Secretary and later she was elected for the post.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court upheld the trial court's decision of pronouncing her guilty in the corruption case and sentencing her to a four year jail term.

(With inputs from IANS)