Delay in invitation attempt to divide party, says VK Sasikala

Chennai: Issuing a veiled threat to the Union Government and Governor, AIADMK general secretary V. K. Sasikala on Saturday charged that the “delay” in calling her to form the government seems to be a design to “engineer split in her party” and declared to protest in a “different way” from Sunday.

As the rival camp headed by O. Panneerselvam gained more traction, Ms Sasikala drove to the Golden Bay resort at Kuvathur near Mamallapuram and had one-on-one interaction with the MLAs staying there.

“I feel the delay in calling me to form the government is a clear attempt to engineer split in the AIADMK. We have been patient till today (Saturday). We will protest in a different way from tomorrow (Sunday),” she told reporters at the Poes Garden on her arrival from Kuvathur late on Saturday evening.

“The MLAs are doing good and I have had the satisfaction of meeting them,” Ms Sasikala said. After reports emerged that Governor CH Vidyasagar would wait till the Supreme Court pronounces its verdict in the DA case in which she is an accused, Ms Sasikala on Saturday morning convened a meeting of senior leaders and held discussions with them for an hour.

Emerging from the meeting, she spoke to the waiting leaders inside the Poes Garden residence that was telecast live by party-owned Jaya TV. “We are little patient only because we believe in justice and democracy. Our patience has a limit and after that we will have to do what we have to,” Ms Sasikala declared to her partymen. Her comments are being seen as declaring a war on the Governor and Union Government. Ms Sasikala had met Mr Rao on Thursday and staked the claim to form the government.

“Our late Amma faced several difficulties in running the party and now we are also facing such difficulties. We will overcome every obstacle and emerge victorious,” Ms Sasikala said. Immediately after the meeting, she rushed to the Golden Bay resort and addressed the legislators in group and later separately.

Ms Sasikala had on Saturday morning requested Mr Rao to give her appointment to meet him with supporting MLAs. However, the Governor is understood to have refused to give time to her to meet him with her MLAs.