V K Sasikala, close confidante of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, was on Sunday discharged from the Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru following her recovery from Covid-19 infection.
She made a clear but indirect political statement by travelling in a car bearing the flag of the AIADMK. She was removed as interim general secretary of the AIADMK by the new leadership -- O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami -- in September 2017.
Sasikala received a rousing reception from her supporters. The close aide of Jayalalithaa is expected to stay in Bengaluru for about a week before returning to Chennai.
Sasikala's car bearing AIADMK flag is an indication that she will indulge in active politics. It also led to speculation whether she will function as a separate entity distancing for now from her nephew T T V Dhinakaran, who runs Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).
The development comes as AIADMK leaders maintain that Sasikala will have no role to play in the party after her release.
66-year-old Sasikala was rushed to the Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital on January 20 after she complained of breathlessness. A day later, she was shifted to the Victoria Hospital where she tested positive for Covid-19.
She was released from her Hospital bed on January 27 following completion of her four-year prison term in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.
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