Sasikala's mysterious silence after return from Bengaluru

The silence can be due to the back-channels talks between BJP and AMMK for the latter to join the AIADMK alliance for the Assembly elections

It has been a fortnight since V K Sasikala arrived in Chennai to a rousing reception by her supporters, but the silence she has been maintaining since is conspicuous. There was much expectation that Sasikala will make an attempt to claim the legacy of her long-time friend and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on her 73rd birth anniversary on Wednesday.

However, it is likely to be a tame affair with Sasikala playing floral tributes to Jayalalithaa's portrait at her T Nagar residence here on Wednesday morning. Leaders of the AMMK run by Sasikala's nephew said she would have visited the Jayalalithaa Memorial if it was open. “Since it is closed, she is unlikely to visit the memorial,” a senior leader told DH.

While Sasikala will pay respects to Jayalalithaa at her residence, Dhinakaran will do the honours at the AMMK headquarters, the leader added.

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The newly-inaugurated memorial for Jayalalithaa is out of bounds for the public due to “ongoing construction work”, and this has made the birth anniversary of the late leader a low-key affair in an election year. AIADMK leaders – Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam – would lead their party cadres in visiting the memorial but the event is missing from their itinerary on Wednesday. Instead, they have asked their cadre to light diyas and take a vow to protect the AIADMK.

The memorial was closed apparently to ensure that Sasikala does not land up at Jayalalithaa's resting place after her return from a Bengaluru jail. Sasikala, who arrived in Chennai on February 9 after a nearly 24-hour long journey from Bengaluru, has confined herself to her home for the last 14 days. Only Dhinakaran visited her a couple of times, sources said.

AMMK leaders said they are not able to understand her “silence.” They said the party expected at least a few senior leaders of the AIADMK to meet Sasikala or at least give a statement supporting her. “Both sides are silent,” another leader said.

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The silence can also be due to the back-channels talks between BJP and AMMK for the latter to join the AIADMK alliance for the Assembly elections. DH had in January reported that the BJP was keen on AMMK joining the alliance to prevent a split of AIADMK votes.