Tamil Nadu, which will face assembly elections in the first quarter of next year, may see some changes in its political landscape as VK Sasikala Natarajan, once a close confidant of former AIADMK supreme J Jayalalithaa, is likely to be released from prison. in january.
According to an RTI response from the office of the Chief Superintendent of Prisons, Parapanna Agrahara, where Sasikala is currently serving a four-year prison sentence after being convicted by the Supreme Court, the likely date of his release is January 27, 2021. , if she pays the ordered fine of Rs 10 crore. In the event that you fail to pay the fine, you will likely be released on February 27, 2022.
What’s interesting, however, is that in RTI’s response from Public Information Officer R Latha, Sasikala could be released before January 27, 2021, if she uses her probation center. Sasikala had entered prison on February 15, 2015, but had served 35 days in prison in early 1997 and 2004.
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According to Sasikala’s lawyer, Raja Sendur Pandian, she may be released later this month, although HT was unable to independently confirm this with prison authorities. Pandian claims that Sasikala is entitled to a “regular referral” granted to all prisoners, which would allow him to get out of jail later this month. She also said that arrangements have already been made to pay the 10 million rupee fine to facilitate her smooth and quick release.
Sasikala’s re-entry into the Tamil Nadu political landscape is likely to have a significant impact. Before surrendering, she had been elected general secretary of the party and leader of the AIADMK legislative party and was ready to be sworn in as chief minister.
However, then-Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao awaited the Supreme Court ruling in the disproportionate case against Jayalalithaa and Sasikala. Both, along with Sasikala’s nephew, Sudhakaran, and his confidant J Ilavarsi, were found guilty, thus nullifying their hopes of becoming CM. The sentence against Jayalalithaa was unsuccessful because he had died two months earlier.
After Sasikala’s arrest, Edappadi Palanswami, then seen as his agent and key lieutenant, was elected leader of the legislative party and assumed the post of prime minister. Later, after fighting with Sasikala’s nephew, TTV Dhinakaran, she was expelled from AIADMK and removed from the post of general secretary. Dhinakaran formed an alternative AMMK party that has not had much electoral success.
Now, with the imminent release of Sasikala, the political scene could see a rotation in the state. Political analysts L Manjunath says: “If she can project herself as the aggrieved woman who had to go to jail to defend Thalivi Jayalalithaa’s honor, then she could still emerge as a significant force. Especially since the Palanswami and Paneerselvam (Deputy CM) factions have not yet fully reconciled with each other. Also, she belongs to the powerful Thevar community, which could also be a factor in her favor. “
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While the AIADMK has yet to officially react on Sasikala’s likely imminent release, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar had ruled out the possibility of her reinstatement or any possible impact on the party’s fortunes due to her re-entry into state politics.
However, Sasikala could still face some challenges as the IT department is looking to auction off some of the seized properties in the case of disproportionate assets. “While the DMK-led alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls, the assembly elections are a different challenge. If Sasikala can bring together all the old AIADMK factions, they can mount a serious challenge and it won’t be a handover like the parliamentary elections, ”says Manjunath.
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