Sasikala’s ‘AIADMK unity tour’ fails to inspire

CHENNAI: Expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala’s political tour named ‘Ammavin Vazhiyil Makkal Payanam’ with an objective to “reunite” AIADMK started on a sorry note as it failed to invoke any response in the south.

After announcing her “re-entry” into active politics with an objective to bring the warring groups and reinstate AIADMK to the past glory, Sasikala launched the three-day political tour from July 17.

The outcome of the Lok Sabha polls, in which the AIADMK tasted embarrassing defeat and lost deposits in seven constituencies, triggered Sasikala to take up the political tour. After meeting her supporters at her Poes Garden residence, on June 16, she declared that she would ensure an AIADMK regime in 2026 after reuniting the party.

However, she lacked clarity in taking forward her agenda when she hit the ground. The lukewarm response to her political tour, designed to cover more than 60 villages dominated by Mukkulathor community in Sankarankovil, Vasanallur and Tenkasi Assembly segments, showed the mirror to her and her popularity in the political orbit of the state.

“She did not utter the (AIADMK) party name anywhere during the tour, but made an indirect reference for the reunited AIADMK and repeated a line - If we stand united, the future is ours - from a song in MG Ramachandran’s movie Naalai Namathe,” said a source who followed her campaign. Sources also said that she did not have the kind of financial support to sustain her statewide tour.

The tour was envisaged with a “good intention, but failed miserably in executing it. This shows Sasikala has no clarity of thought and the tour was poorly organised. It was evident from her speeches that did not create any impact among the cadre and AIADMK sympathisers,” senior journalist and political critic Priyan said.

The close aide of former CM J Jayalalithaa, Saiskala focused more on attacking the DMK government rather than focusing on the job at hand. “She was a power center during Jayalalithaa’s period and wielded enormous influence in the party. Things have changed and Sasikala has limitations, but she is not ready to accept the reality and work accordingly. She had also failed to communicate to the AIADMK cadre and supporters that she is ready for any sacrifice and even ready to work as a primary member of the party during her tour,” he said.

Former AIADMK MP KC Palanisamy said Sasikala wanted to reconnect with the Thevar community and resorting to such campaign has a community-based political undercurrent. It would benefit none.

“She has no political clout in North, West and Central regions in the state and people in Chennai neither take her seriously. Moreover, EPS (Edappadi K Palaniswami) is in no mood to take the expelled leaders into the party,” said the former MP, alluding that Sasikala’s political tour fetched no result.