‘Good news will come’: Sasikala hints at new party on Jayalalithaa's birthday

Chennai: Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala on Tuesday hinted at a possible political announcement with a few weeks remaining for the state assembly elections, saying “good news will come” during events marking former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary.

“Today there is an event for Amma's birthday. We are conducting an event for her birthday in which good news will come,” Sasikala told reporters.

Her remarks have intensified speculation about her political future, including the possibility of floating a new party after her expulsion from the AIADMK.

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Earlier in the day, Sasikala paid floral tributes to AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran and to Jayalalithaa.

The former AIADMK acting general secretary, once a close aide of Jayalalithaa, has been holding meetings with supporters in Chennai in recent weeks as Tamil Nadu prepares for Assembly elections due in the first half of 2026.

Sasikala was expelled from the AIADMK following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. She is now looking to stage a political comeback in the upcoming polls.

Backing her, supporter Arasan said, “We are with Chinnamma and will stand by her no matter what. Whatever decision she takes in the upcoming 2026 elections, we will stand by Chinnamma. I have been a very loyal supporter of VK Sasikala and her husband, Natarajan, since childhood. This will always continue.”

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The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly is set to go to the polls in 2026, with the ruling M K Stalin-led alliance expected to campaign on the ‘Dravidian Model 2.0’ plank against the BJP-AIADMK combine.

Actor Vijay’s entry with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is also expected to make the contest multi-cornered.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK won 133 seats, while its allies Congress secured 18, PMK five and VCK four. The Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK won 159 seats in total. The NDA won 75 seats, with the AIADMK emerging as the largest party in the alliance with 66.