New equations in making? Sasikala meets OPS to condole his wife's death

Sasikala, who was eased out of the AIADMK years ago, met Panneerselvam briefly at Gem hospital in Chennai and held his hands and consoled him.

Expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader VK Sasikala met party coordinator and former deputy CM O Panneerselvam on Wednesday to condole his wife Vijayalakshmi’s death.

Expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala offers her condolences to AIADMK co-coordinator O Panneerselvam following the demise of the latter's wife Vijayalakshmi, in Chennai on Wednesday. (PTI)

A key aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalilathaa, Sasikala met Panneerselvam briefly at Gem hospital in Chennai and held his hands and consoled him. The two Jayalalithaa loyalists who fell out after her death reportedly spoke for about 20 minutes and Sasikala is said to have enquired about Vijayalakchmi’s condition before she passed away.

With the ace politician who was eased out of the AIADMK years ago making several not-so-discreet attempts at making a comeback to the party fold, the meeting is seen as significant as the AIADMK top brass, headed by E Palaniswami and Paneerselvam, has been staunchly opposed to such moves.

Ever since she walked out of jail earlier this year ahead of the Assembly election in Tamil Nadu, Sasikala has been making many bids at staking claim to the party. One such such move has been sharing audio clips with supporters wherein she spoke about setting the party back in order.

In one of the clips she said everyone had back-stabbed her and that she would have picked O Panneerselvam as chief minister before she went to prison in 2017. This was a day after the dual leadership in the AIADMK expelled 16 party members for speaking to the ousted former interim general secretary.

Sasikala had also recently met former party presidium chairman Madhusudhanan at the hospital before his death. Palaniswami had left hurriedly soon after she reached the hospital.