Expelled All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader VK Sasikala on Wednesday announced that she was quitting politics ahead of the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, reported The Hindu.
Sasikala, a close aide of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, was released from prison on January 27 after a four-year-long sentence in a corruption case.
The 234-seat state Assembly will go to polls in a single phase on April 6 and the results will be declared on May 2.
“I will stay away from politics and pray to my sister (Jayalalithaa), a revolutionary leader, whom I have always worshipped as a deity & to the almighty God for Amma’s golden rule to continue: VK Sasikala,” she said in a statement.
“I will pray to god and my sister (Jayalalithaa) for AIADMK’s victory (and) urge supporters of AIADMK to work together and defeat the DMK (the primary opposition). I urge the party cadre to work to keep her legacy going,” she added.
Ms Sasikala also thanked the BJP, which is allied with the AIADMK, for “working to unite the AIADMK to ensure votes don’t split like the 2019 election”.
Reacting to her decision, Sasikala’s nephew and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran said that he tried to convince her to reverse her decision and will keep trying to do so.
“I’m saddened by her decision. I tried my best to persuade her out of the decision. I will keep trying. It’s not a setback for me. AMMK will continue contesting this election under my leadership,” he said.
