Chennai, Dec 11 – AIADMK propaganda secretary and deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha M Thambidurai on Sunday requested late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s close aide V.K. Sasikalaa to lead the party.
On Saturday, several senior party leaders, including chief minister O Panneerselvam, pleaded with Sasikalaa to lead the party.
In a press statement on Sunday, Thambidurai said Chinnamma (Sasikalaa) has the ability and experience to lead the party. “Chinnamma had been spending time with Amma (Jayalalithaa) for the last 35 years and had sacrificed a lot in her life. Fake cases were filed against her due to political rivalry and had been jailed too. She saved Amma (Jayalalithaa) from various threats and had given advice to Amma to run the party and the government,” he said.
Thambidurai added that Amma had asked him to function based on Chinnamma’s advice during election. “Chinnamma (Junior Amma) has given me guidance many a time. She has all the qualities required to lead the party,” he said.
He said AIADMK cadre had started calling Jayalalithaa ‘Puratchi Thalaivi Amma’ several years ago. “She (Sasikalaa) was with Amma for several years, and we started to call her ‘Chinnamma’ several years ago. Amma also recognised it and had no objection when we called Sasikalaa Chinnamma. This indicates that Chinnamma has the political heredity in AIADMK,” said Thambidurai.
He requested the party cadre to support Sasikalaa.
(Times Of India)
