Thousands lined up to welcome V K Sasikala after the expelled AIADMK leader drove into Tamil Nadu days after completing her four-year jail term in Bengaluru in a DA case on Monday morning.
Clad in green saree, the 66-year-old Sasikala sat in the front seat of the car, responding to the greetings of the supporters with folded hands.
Sasikala had travelled in a Land Cruiser until Attibele border post. She then took to a silver-coloured Toyota Innova with an AIAMDK flag mounted to the front bonnet. Through her act of flying an AIADMK flag, Sasikala signalled that she would not slip away into quiet obscurity upon her return.
The enthusiasm of the thousands of her supporters was palpable. They started showering flower petals on the car from 450 metres past the Attibele checkpoint, where Tamil Nadu territory officially began, to the highway checkpoint at the village of Zuzuvadi - a distance of 1.3 km.
Initially relegated to a cleared segment of the service road skirting of NH 44, Sasikala’s convoy slowed to a crawl as a sea of supporters took time to make way. A carnival spirit permeated celebrations. Women thrust their children at Sasikala as she sat in the front passenger seat, men shouted support and others attempted to take selfies.. One man clung to the vehicle for some distance, repeatedly chanting “welcome Chinnamma.”
A drone hoisted a tubular banner expressing support for Sasikala. One group fired off a series of rockets. All throughout this, Sasikala, who wore a face mask, gestured gratefully at the crowd.
Sources told DH that Tamil Nadu police issued a notice against Sasikala for using the AIADMK flag. However, she reportedly told police that only the Election Commission had the authority to forbid her from using the flag.
Many of the supporters had arrived on the highway in buses, about 20 of which were parked on the side.
After Sasikala crossed the Zuzuvadi and sped away, the crowd largely melted away as did the tour buses. Police said they had given permission for only five vehicles to accompany Sahikala’s vehicles. But a convoy of at least 80 vehicles raced behind her.
Sasikala’s return is expected to create a flutter in the poll-bound Tamil Nadu.
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