Reporter's Diary: Following Chinnamma in the name of Amma

CHENNAI: Though AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami used to claim that he was following the footsteps of ‘Amma’ (revered name of late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa) among the cadres, his activities exhibit his reverence to Chinnamma — VK Sasikala, according to AIADMK insiders.

Though EPS distanced himself from Sasikala in 2017, his contemporary political innings are similar to hers.

In 2016, Sasikala was elected as the interim general secretary of AIADMK through a resolution passed as per Rule 20 (2) in a General Council meeting on December 29. Not to be outsmarted, EPS conducted a GC meeting on July 11 and made them elect him as the interim general secretary.

Though the HC nullified his meeting, he repeated a-la-Sasikala in his recent press meet. EPS, who thwarted OPS’s invitation to work together recently, made an allegation against him. He accused OPS and his son of establishing contact with the DMK and Chief Minister MK Stalin.

In February 2017, when sacking OPS from the party, Sasikala levelled a similar accusation. She had alleged that OPS was seen smiling at Stalin in the assembly.

Such activities of EPS have made his supporters anxious, as they worry that the wheel of fortune might forsake them the way it did for Sasikala.

— M Manikandan, Chennai