Sasikala reinducts 2 family members sacked by Jaya

AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala today reinducted her close relatives T T V Dinkaran and S Venkatesh into the party, five years after their expulsion by J Jayalalithaa.

In a significant move a day after her conviction in a graft case, Sasikala announced that Dinakaran, her nephew and a former Rajya Sabha member, was being appointed as the party's Deputy General Secretary and urged the cadres to extend their cooperation to him.

The two were being reinducted 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 here.

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.

Yesterday, Sasikala was convicted in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case, with the Supreme Court upholding a lower court verdict sentencing her to four years' prison term along with two of her relatives.

Dinakaran was part of the 12-member AIADMK team led by its newly elected Legislature party leader Edappadi K Palaniswami which met the state Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and staked claim to form government.

Sasikala had yesterday sacked rebel leaders including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from the party, but they have questioned her right to do so, contending that she does not have powers to appoint and remove anyone.

Meanwhile, Social Welfare Minister V Saroja, who is also staying at the resort, defended the appointment of Dinakaran, describing him as a "calm and humble man."

She recalled that Jayalalithaa had once appointed him as the secretary of a key party forum meant to interact with the workers.

"He is not new to the party. He had moved closely with party workers. He is a calm and humble man," she told reporters at the Koovathur resort.

Saroja said that party MLAs will abide by the decision of Sasikala as she had been elected the General Secretary.

To a question about police presence in the resort, she alleged "they are exerting pressure (to vacate) and we are staying here with our families voluntarily."
This had been made clear to the police officials, she said.

Asked who was behind the police "pressure," she shot back "you know it."
Saroja, who was part of the AIADMK team led by its Legislature Party Leader Edappady K Palaniswami that met the Governor to stake claim to form the government yesterday, exuded confidence that Ch Vidyasagar Rao will extend his invitation soon to them for this purpose.