Election Commission seeks response from AIADMK on electing Sasikala as party general secretary

Sasikala Pushpa had told the Commission that the elevation of V K Sasikala as the general secretary of the party was carried out in an "undemocratic manner".

AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala at the MLAs and MP meet held at Headquarters on Friday in Chennai. | Express Photo Service

Following a complaint by Sasikala Pushpa against the election of V K Sasikala as party general secretary, the Election Commission has sought the response of AIADMK.

Sources with the poll panel said that the party has been asked to respond to the complaint. “AIADMK has been asked to respond on this. We will look into it and any action canl be taken only after that,” said an official.

Pushpa had told the Commission that the elevation of V K Sasikala as the general secretary of the party was carried out in an "undemocratic manner".

V K Sasikala has been Jayalalithaa's closest aide since the 1980s. She has been taking care of party affairs, although she never held any formal position in the AIADMK before Jayalalithaa's death.

Earlier, Sasikala Pushpa has submitted a letter of dissent to the EC on the undemocratic nomination of Sasikala Natarajan as the interim general secretary of AIADMK. On Saturday, she released a statement saying she has asked the EC not to accept Sasikala Natarajan’s appointment as interim general secretary of the AIADMK.

In the statement, Sasikala Pushpa labels Sasikala Natarajan as autocratic. She has also recalled an incident in December 2016, when her husband Lingeswarathilagan was roughed up when he went to the party headquarters to submit his nomination paper for the post of general secretary.