Chennai, February 15 – Ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, V. K. Sasikala, the former interim General Secretary of the AIADMK and close confidante of the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, has launched an intensive round of consultations with her loyalists across the state.
These meetings, which began earlier this week, are being seen as a prelude to a crucial announcement regarding her faction’s electoral strategy.
Sources close to Sasikala say she is meeting with former legislators, district-level functionaries, and long-time supporters to assess the political climate and the organizational strength of her group.
The consultations are scheduled to continue until February 18, and a final decision on her political course is expected before February 24, the birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa – a date that carries significant emotional and symbolic weight for AIADMK members.
Although Sasikala currently holds no formal position in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), she continues to assert that she remains its rightful General Secretary. Her supporters argue that it is time for her group to re-enter active electoral politics, rather than remaining on the sidelines, as was the case in the 2021 Assembly elections.
A senior member of her camp said that the interactions are intended to persuade Sasikala that her group must "enter the electoral fray and make its presence felt," alleging that the parent party's affairs are no longer being run in accordance with the ideals of its founder, M. G. Ramachandran, and Jayalalithaa.
However, Sasikala herself will not be able to contest the 2026 polls due to the continuation of her disqualification following her conviction in a corruption case in 2017. Her period of ineligibility is set to end only early next year.
Her nephew, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, launched the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in 2018, initially naming Sasikala as General Secretary while she was serving her sentence in Bengaluru. He later assumed the post and has since taken independent political positions.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has ruled out accommodating Sasikala or former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam within the party.
Sasikala’s camp believes that the AIADMK’s electoral setbacks, including defeats across constituencies in districts such as Tiruvallur, reflect organizational weakness. All alliance options – including possible coordination with Panneerselvam or other regional factions – are reportedly being considered as she prepares to make a decisive decision.
