Tamil Nadu: VK Sasikala's plea to be AIADMK General Secretary rejected by court

In a setback for VK Sasikala, a court in Chennai acknowledged a plea filed by AIADMK’s chief coordinator, O Panneerselvam and leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Edappadi Palaniswami and dismissed her plea who is a confidante of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The 4th Additional District Sessions Court dismissed Sasikala's plea against her removal in a party general council in 2017.

Sasikala had moved the city civil court earlier contending that the AIADMK general council held in 2017, which expelled her as general secretary, was not valid.

While, the petition filed by AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator Edapadi K Palanisamy sought to dismiss VK Sasikala’s claims as General Secretary.

The general council was held in the wake of the merger of the then separate factions headed by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami.

This will be a major setback for Sasikala, after a few party cadres called for her return after AIADMK’s dismal performance in the Tamil Nadu urban local body polls.

The initial decision to elect Sasikala as AIADMK general secretary came after the demise of former CM Jayalalithaa.

Following Jayalalitha's demise, Sasikala took over as the General Secretary of the AIADMK. But her term was short-lived.

Sasikala was sentenced to 4 years in jail for hatching a criminal conspiracy with Jayalalithaa, with whom she was closely associated, and amassing wealth disproportionate to the known source of her income.