Jayalalithaa`s long-time aide Sasikala all set to take the mantle of AIADMK general secretary, senior leaders vow support

The revelation comes even as the AIADMK party on Saturday announced to elect a new party general secretary.

Çhennai: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's long-time aide V K Sasikala appeared all set to lead the AIADMK party with senior leaders vowing their support and urging her to immediately take charge as the party's general secretary.

A party delegation led by chairman E Madhusudanan and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai called on Sasikala on Friday at the Poes Garden residence of the late chief minister and urged her to take charge of the mantle.

Sasikala, 60, has been a close aide of Jayalalithaa for three decades.

"After Amma it is only Chinnamma. Chinnamma follows Amma's footsteps," Thambidurai told reporters here.

"I urged her to come forward to take up responsibility of being party General Secretary and guide us," PTI quoted Thambidurai as saying.

Thambidurai said the party is of the "unanimous" opinion that Sasikala should lead the party and expressed hope that she would accept their request.

All party workers, district secretaries, MPs, MLAs and all other functionaries were one on the issue, he asserted.

After Amma, who fought for the people's welfare, it is "Chinnamma" who has the "strength and ability" to work for the people, state and the party, he said.

The development comes after the AIADMK party on Saturday morning had announced to elect a new party general secretary.

An election will happen soon and the decision was taken at a meeting of the functionaries, senior leader C Ponnaiyan said while making the announcement.

He said AIADMK will act in a “democratic manner” and a meeting has also been called to discuss the formalities.

Responding to a question on the recent meetings with Sasikala, Ponnaiyan said: "Is she not an important member of the party? What is wrong in it?”