Sasikala's nephew Dinakaran, expelled by Jaya, becomes AIADMK Dy Gen Secy

Chennai: AIADMK chief Sasikala on Wednesday reinducted her relatives Dinakaran and Venkatesh in the party.

Dinakaran, who is Sasikala's nephew, was appointed deputy general secretary of AIADMK.

Dinakaran and Venkatesh were being re-inducted following their "apology" issued to her in person and through letter, Sasikala said.

"Dinakaran and Venkatesh are allowed to join the party after they expressed regret for their acts in person and through letter and requested that they be allowed to join the party (again)," she said in a statement in Chennai.

Dinakaran and Venkatesh, besides Sasikala and her husband M Natarajan were expelled from AIADMK in 2011 by late chief minister Jayalalithaa amidst reports then that they interfered in party and government administration.

Although she withdrew the "disciplinary action" against her close aide after Sasikala expressed regret, Jayalalithaa had however said that the others' expulsion would continue.

On Tuesday, at an emergency meeting following the Supreme Court verdict against her, Sasikala chose E Palanisamy as the new AIADMK Legislature Party chief.

She also expelled caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from primary membership of the party.

Sasikala will surrender before a Bengaluru court on Wednesday after she was convicted by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets (DA) case. After spending whole Tuesday along with her MLAs at the Golden Bay resort in Koovathur near Mamallapuram, Sasikala drove out of the premises in her SUV a little after 9.30 pm and reached the Poes Garden residence at around 11 pm.

Sasikala, who along with her relatives Ilavarasi and V.N. Sudhakaran has been convicted in the case, is likely to take a chartered flight from Chennai to Bengaluru early on Wednesday morning and surrender before the designated court. After having explored all options, the legal team of Ms Sasikala is understood to have told her that immediate surrender was the only option.

Before she left the resort, Sasikala addressed the MLAs who have been staying inside the luxurious resort since last week and asked them to ensure that the AIADMK remains united. “I may go to jail, but my heart will always here. I will continue to perform my duties as the AIADMK General Secretary from wherever I am,” Ms Sasikala told her legislators.

She also launched a veiled attack against Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao asking why he has not invite Palanisamy to form the government as yet. “They can't jail my thoughts. Whether I'm here or in another state, I will work for the party 24 hours a day. Our enemy Karunanidhi lodged this case and we should ensure that his party DMK does not come to power again in Tamil Nadu,” she said.