Sasikala drops another AIADMK return hint amid EPS-OPS rift as fresh audio clip surfaces

Hours after former Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami dismissed the return of Sasikala to AIADMK, another audio clip of an alleged conversation between the exiled former Jayalalithaa aide and an AIADMK cadre has surfaced - the second such clip to emerge over the past few days triggering speculations of Sasikala's return to the party-fold. Amid rumours of a rift between EPS and former Deputy CM OPS, an alleged audio clip of Sasikala's phone call with an AIADMK party worker had emerged a couple of days earlier in which the 'Chinamma' was heard saying that the party's honour would be restored soon. Now, another audio clip has surfaced, incidentally, on the same day, EPS asked for 'proof' of Sasikala's return. 

In the leaked audio clip that surfaced on Friday, Sasikala is heard having a conversation with a man called Anbu (presumably an AIADMK cadre) in which she is heard exuding confidence in the AIADMK cadre backing her. In the alleged leaked conversation between the expelled AIADMK leader and the cadre, Sasikala says that the 'two-leaves party' was a cadre-oriented party and that 'some people' did not understand this - taking an apparent dig at Edappadi Palaniswami who is responsible for ousting Sasikala from the party after Jayalalithaa's death and the former's imprisonment.

"Amma (Jayalalithaa) had said that the party should rule for 100 years. Shouldn't I protect that? Whatever I could do, I did before leaving (to jail)," Sasikala is heard saying in the leaked conversation. 

Sasikala goes on to say that all her thoughts are directed towards the well-being of the party, its cadre and doing good for the public. In response to the AIADMK cadre's vow to 'give his life' for Chinamma, Sasikala says that she is very well aware of the backing she has from the AIADMK party workers. Sasikala reassured the AIADMK cadre of her return to politics & said that she would meet the party workers in the near future.  

Sasikala's electoral exit 

On January 27, Sasikala was formally released from prison after serving a 4-year jail term in the Rs.66 crore disproportionate assets case. But, she was discharged from the Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru only on January 31 as she was undergoing treatment for COVID-19. After receiving a raucous welcome on her return to Tamil Nadu, the ousted AIADMK leader declared that she would enter full-fledged politics soon.

However, in a sudden change of heart on March 3, she decided to step aside from politics to ensure that "all followers of Jayalalithaa stay together" to defeat DMK in the TN Assembly polls. In another interesting turn of events on March 24, TN Deputy CM O Panneerselvam made a U-turn by hinting at the possibility of re-inducting her in AIADMK. The AIADMK coordinator told a Tamil news channel that he was ready to reconsider his stance on Sasikala's re-entry provided that she accepted the "internal democracy" in the party.

According to him, this decision would be taken on the grounds of "humanity" as she had been with Jayalalithaa for many decades. Maintaining that he did not suspect the expelled AIADMK general secretary of having a role in Jayalalithaa's death, Panneerselvam claimed that he suggested the formation of an inquiry commission so that she is cleared of all charges. Coming days ahead of the state election, the Deputy CM's intervention was perceived as a rebuff to E Palaniswami who refused to approve an alliance with the TTV Dhinakaran-led AMMK.