Jaya expels Sasikala, foster son

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday stunned Tamil Nadu by expelling from her Anna DMK party her close confidant Sasikala Natarajan and 11 others.Among those expelled are Jayalalithaa’s foster son VN Sudhakaran and Sasikala’s husband Natarajan, leaders of a group of highly influential people who have earned a bad reputation as the “Mannarkudi Mafia,” a name drawn from Sasikala’s home town in Tanjore district.The expulsions came amid reports that Sasikala was planning to turn approver in the Rs660 million disproportionate assets case against the chief minister. Sasikala, who is known to be fully involved in all activities of Jayalalithaa, is also an accused in the case.A media statement issued from the ADMK headquarters said that those expelled are VK Sasikala (member of the party’s chief executive committee), her husband M. Natarajan and her close relatives Divakar (Mannarkudi), TTV Dinakaran, V. Bhaskaran, VN Sudhakaran, Dr. S. Venkatesh, M. Ramachandran, Ravanan, Mohan (Adayar), Kulothungan and Rajarajan. Dinakaran, the son of Sasikala’s sister, was once a party MP.Venkatesh, who too is a close relative of Sasikala, occupied the post of the party’s youth forums which were floated by Jayalalithaa a few years ago. Jayalalithaa has expelled them all from the primary membership of the ADMK and party posts held by them. Further, she asked ADMK members not to have any contact with any of them.There has been no immediate reaction from Sasikala or any of her aides on Monday, but observers are keenly watching their moves are believed to have the capability to damage Jayalalithaa.ADMK sources said a Sasikala confidant made a mediation effort on Monday to make a patch-up, but Jayalalithaa was in no mood to pardon the “mafia.”The sources said the group had gone to the extent of plotting to overthrow Jayalalithaa. Sasikala’s husband Natarajan was considered a candidate to take over the party and the government if such a move becomes successful. It is understood the group had contacted a number of Anna DMK MLAs in this connection.Jayalalithaa has solid proof of the group’s conspiracy, sources in the party said. But observers do not rule out a threat to Jayalalithaa as a majority of the MLAs were handpicked by the “mafia” and may still hold their loyalty to the group.Sasikala has been staying with Jayalalithaa at the chief minister’s Poes Garden residence, but had recently shifted to a villa on the East Coast Road owned by her nephew Bhaskaran. The “coup” plot was hatched there, it is reported. The “mafia” has been known to hold unbridled power ever since Jayalalithaa took over on May 19.It is no secret that there has been unprecedented interference in government and party affairs by Sasikala and her people.Allegations have been aired that transfer and postings of IAS and IPS officers were carried out at the behest of Sasikala and her relatives.An annual general council meeting of the party scheduled for Dec.30 is expected to be crucial.This would be the first meeting after the ADMK was voted back to power in the April 13 state elections. The meeting will definitely see a declaration of loyalty to Jayalalithaa. However, that does not mean trouble is over for her. Sasikala could still turn approver in the cases. That would mean legal and political damage for the chief minister.Further, the old friend could come out airing allegations that could be of damage. Jayalalithaa and Sasikala have a long association, beginning from the days when the chief minister was still an actress and propaganda secretary of ADMK. Ever since, Jayalalithaa was never seen in public without Sasikala.It was no surprise that the two were co-accused in corruption cases like the disproportionate asset case and the TANSI land case.Meanwhile, The special court trying the disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa on Monday granted a six week stay on proceedings against Sasikala, concerning the translation process.