Tamil Nadu, due to hold assembly elections in the first quarter of next year, may be heading for a change in its political scene with VK Sasikala Natarajan, a close associate of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who will likely be released from prison before the polls. .
Sasikala is currently serving a four-year prison term in Parapanna Agrahara, Bengaluru, after the Supreme Court found her guilty of possession of assets disproportionate to her income in February 2017. Jayalalithaa, who died in December 2016, was also convicted , but in his case the ruling was unsuccessful.
According to a response provided by the Parapanna Agrahara chief superintendent’s office to a question raised under the Right to Information Act, the likely date of Sasikala’s release is January 27, 2021 if he pays the fine ordered by the 10 million rupee court. In the event that you fail to pay the fine, you will likely be released on February 27, 2022.
The interesting thing is that in RTI’s response from R Latha, the prison’s public information officer, Sasikala can be released even before January 27, 2021 if she uses his probation center. Sasikala had entered the prison on February 15, 2015; she had also served 35 days in prison in 1997 and 2004.
According to Sasikala’s attorney, Raja Sendur Pandian, Sasikala is eligible to be released later this month, although HT was unable to independently confirm this with prison authorities.
Pandian claims that Sasikala is entitled to the “ordinary referral” granted to all prisoners, which would allow him to be released from prison at the end of September. He also said that arrangements had already been made to pay the 10 million rupee fine to facilitate Sasikala’s early release.
Her re-entry into the Tamil Nadu political landscape is likely to have a significant impact on the state where Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and leader of her legislative party was elected as All India Secretary General; she was ready to be sworn in as chief minister before the law closed her down.
Later, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, waited for the Supreme Court to render its ruling in the case of disproportionate assets against Jayalalithaa and Sasikala. Both, along with two others, were found guilty, nullifying their hopes of becoming CM.
After Sasikala’s arrest, Edappadi Palanswami, then seen as Sasikala’s representative and a key deputy of hers, was elected leader of the legislative party and became the CM. After Palanswami had a fight with Sasikala’s nephew, TTV Dhinakaran, she was expelled from AIADMK and removed from the post of general secretary. Dhinakaran formed a new party, Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK), which has not had much electoral success.
“If she can project herself as the aggrieved woman who had to go to jail to defend the honor of thalaivi Jayalalithaa, then she could still emerge as a significant force. Especially since the Palanswami and O. Panneerselvam (Deputy CM) factions have yet to fully reconcile with each other. She also belongs to the powerful Thevar community, which could also be a factor in her favor. “
AIADMK has yet to officially react on the likely early release of Sasikala. In the past, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar ruled out the possibility of reinstating her and ruled out the possibility that her re-entry into the state political scene would have any impact on the party’s fortunes.
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