Take over post of general secretary, AIADMK district units plead Sasikala

CHENNAI: Support for VK Sasikala Natarajan, close aide of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, picked up further momentum within the AIADMK with party's district units coming out with resolutions appealing to her to take over general secretary post and lead the party.

South Chennai became the first district unit in the capital to pass a resolution in support of Sasikala stating that she was with Jayalalithaa when she faced challenges and imprisonment with the former Chief Minister. Sasikala dedicated her entire life to protect her sister Jayalalithaa, the resolution passed by South Chennai said and requested Sasikala to protect the AIADMK and its cadre by taking over the party leadership.

Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, along with party's Theni district secretary and MLA, Thanga Thamizhselvan and other colleagues from the district paid their respects to Jayalalithaa's burial place at Marina.

From there they went to Poes Garden and submitted a petition to Sasikala asking her to take over the general secretary post. The party's literature wing headed by former minister B.Valarmathi passed a resolution seeking Sasikala’s leadership. Madurai (urban) district office-bearers headed by V. Rajan Chellappa passed a similar resolution. MGR youth wing, MGR mandram too passed resolutions with the same demand.

Various wings of the party including those for agriculture, minority welfare, fishermen, besides the district units of Kanchipuram district made a plea for Sasikala to take over. The other district units which requested Sasikala's leadership and passed resolutions to this effect included Coimbatore, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchy and Tiruvannamalai. The leaders of the district units met Sasikala and handed over the resolutions to her.

Besides partymen, film personalities, including veteran director Bharathiraja and actor Vijayashanthi met Sasikala to express their support.