Indo-asian news service
Chennai: Hours after Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK said there is no rift within the party for the powerful post of general secretary, a group of party officials urged Jayalalithaa’s friend VK Sasikala to take charge of the party.
‘‘We had requested Sasikala to take charge of the party. Party leaders like E Madhusudhanan, party presidium chairman, Valarmathi, KA Sengottaiyan, Saidai Duraisamy, and I met Sasikala and made the request,’’ party spokesperson CR Saraswathi told reporters.
They met Sasikala at the Poes Garden residence of former Chief Minister and general secretary J.Jayalalithaa who died here Monday. This is the first time since the death of Jayalalithaa, party officials have openly gone and requested Sasikala to take charge.
‘‘Senior functionaries of AIADMK urge Thirumathi Sasikala to lead the party on the path shown by Puratchi Thalaivi Amma,’’ read a tweet in the AIADMK’s account.
Sengottaiyan had sought to deny reports of making a claim to the top party post.
Asked who the chief minister, ministers and top officials are consulting by visiting the Poes Garden residence of the departed AIADMK supremo and if it was Sasikalaa, party spokesman Ponnaiyan said, ‘‘they are having a meeting with the chief minister there.’’
‘‘It (Veda Nilayam at Poes Garden) is Amma’s house where Amma’s portrait is there… We are in mourning. They are going there to pay homage… It is not good to invent imaginative reasons for everything. PNN