VK Sasikala to take over as Tamil Nadu CM, needs people's mandate, favourable DA case verdict

Chennai: VK Sasikala, the long-time close associate of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, faces more than a few challenges as she prepares to rule one of India's most politically vital states.

According to the political observers, the road ahead for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary, who is most likely to take over as Chief Minister in a day or two, is going to be tough - both on the administrative and political fronts.

On the political front, Sasikala’s top priority would be to get elected to the state assembly within six months of taking over as CM.

At present, only one seat is lying vacant, which is RK Nagar in Chennai. Immediately after Sasikala became the general secretary in late December, Perambur’s Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and the AIADMK’s North Chennai district unit’s secretary P Vetrivel had formally requested her to contest from the constituency.

However, it would be for Sasikala herself to weigh the pros and cons of contesting the election from the RK Nagar seat.   

A section of the AIADMK leaders believe that to be seen as the true inheritor of the Jayalalithaa legacy, Sasikala should contest from RK Nagar, which was held by the former Chief Minister at the time of her death. 

Otherwise, she will be on weaker political wicket. Also, Deepa, the niece of Jayalalithaa, has announced her intention of contesting from the seat.

Besides, the 61-year-old former video cassette seller is also expecting an important verdict - the Supreme Court is expected to decide in May on a disproportionate wealth case. 

Party leaders argue that Sasikala was acquitted in the case along with Jayalalithaa, but an appeal is before the top court.

On why Sasikala waited all this time after Jayalalithaa's death on December 5 to step into her shoes, sources say "Chinamma" or "younger sister to Amma", as she is known in the party, was in mourning.

Winning the perception battle is another one of Sasikala's trials, with a section of the party as well as the opposition DMK questioning her credentials as successor to Jayalalithaa - who rose to power after long years of struggle and elections.

"The people of Tamil Nadu did not vote for anyone from Jayalalithaa's household to become CM," tweeted DMK's MK Stalin yesterday.

Besides, elections to local bodies will be a major test for her to demonstrate and establish her political credentials. The polls are likely to be held this summer. 

n the 2011 elections, the AIADMK made a clean sweep in all the municipal corporations and registered an overwhelming victory in municipalities, town panchayats and other local bodies.

Whether Sasikala likes it or not, her performance will be compared with the showing in 2011, another leader points out.

On the administrative front, the existing spell of severe drought, demonetisation, economic downturn and impending uncertainties in the event of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are all expected to have an adverse effect on the overall economy of the State. 

Even about five months ago, for the current financial year, only a modest growth rate of 4.8% was projected for the State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR), which accounts for about 60% of the total revenue receipts. The State would have a revenue deficit of ₹15,855 crore.