Expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala on Tuesday announced that she would launch a new Dravidian party as she unveiled the party flag on the 78th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Addressing a public meeting in Ramanathapuram to commemorate Jayalalithaa, Sasikala launched a sharp attack on her former colleague and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, accusing him of betrayal and claiming that the party had declined under his leadership. Sasikala, once the AIADMK,s Acting General Secretary and a close aide to Jayalalithaa, was expelled from the party after her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
"If I continue to remain silent as I have for the past nine years, it would amount to a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, for the sake of the people of Tamil Nadu and our party cadres, we are going to launch a new party. For the people of Tamil Nadu and for our cadres, we are going to usher in a new era. We are starting a new party, a new Dravidian party that will follow the path of Perarignar Anna, Puratchi Thalaivar MGR, and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma. It will function as a party for the poor and common people and will uproot enemies and traitors," she added.
Sasikala also introduced the new party flag featuring black, white and red colours with images of CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. "For now, I am only introducing the party flag. I have not yet announced the party's name. I will announce it soon. There will be no change in this decision," she said.
Direct attacks without naming EPS
Without naming Palaniswami directly, she said, "We hastily chose him as Chief Minister. I do not even wish to mention his name. If he had been a good person, I would have said his name. When he became Chief Minister, I did not fully know what kind of person he was." Claiming she played a key role in elevating him, Sasikala added, "I made him sit in the Chief Minister's chair and left. But what kind of person would he be if he passed a resolution to remove me?"
Serious allegations: parole interference and plans to arrest her
Sasikala alleged interference in her parole while she was serving her sentence. "When I was in prison, the prison authorities granted me 15 days of parole. However, the Chennai Commissioner contacted the prison SP and informed them that the Chief Minister had ordered that I should not be given more than five days of parole. Even when my husband passed away, though 15 days were initially granted, they later informed us that only 10 days would be allowed. The very person whom I made Chief Minister stabbed me in the back," she said.
She further claimed that after her release, there were plans to arrest her at the Tamil Nadu border in Hosur, adding that Palaniswami wanted all senior leaders removed from the party, which, according to her, caused the AIADMK to steadily decline.
'AIADMK has suffered ten defeats'
She said, "So far, the AIADMK has faced defeat ten times and has not won even a single election. The functioning of the opposition has been extremely poor." Referring to her disproportionate assets case conviction, Sasikala stated, "Then the judgment came quickly. It pronounced a four-year prison sentence. I was not afraid of that. My entire focus was on ensuring that the government would not fall." She added that she had urgently convened all MLAs before leaving for prison and took a decisive call on who should assume the Chief Minister’s role.
Comparisons with MGR and recalling 2016 night after Jayalalithaa's death
Drawing parallels with AIADMK founder MGR, Sasikala recalled how he was expelled from the DMK after helping M Karunanidhi become Chief Minister. "The very people whom we made sit in positions of power have stabbed us in the back and from the front, as if piercing us with spears from every side," she said. She also recounted the events after Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016. "After Jayalalithaa passed away, that very night all our ministers came. They came and told me, "Chinnamma, you must become the Chief Minister.' All the MLAs said the same. All this happened inside that private hospital." She said she declined, insisting O Panneerselvam should continue.
Tamil Nadu elections 2026
With the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly set to go to polls in the first half of 2026, Sasikala's announcement marks a significant political move aimed at reclaiming space in the Dravidian political landscape. The upcoming election will see the incumbent MK Stalin-led alliance pushing the ‘Dravidian Model 2.0’ against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.
