India politician’s hopes of becoming Tamil Nadu chief dashed by graft conviction

A two-judge bench has found V K Sasikala guilty of amassing assets disproportionate to her income, dashing her ambitions to become Tamil Nadu's next chief minister.

V K Sasikala, left, and another defendant, arriving for a hearing at a special court in Bangalore, India on August 2, 2005 in a corruption case involving Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha. IndiaShow more

The Indian supreme court’s verdict in a 20-year-old corruption case has provided the latest — and possibly final — twist in a cinematic, week-long power struggle within the ruling party in the state of Tamil Nadu.

A two-judge bench on Tuesday found V K Sasikala guilty of amassing assets disproportionate to her income. Sasikala was for decades the closest companion of J Jayalalithaa, who was Tamil Nadu’s chief minister for four terms until her death in December.

The judges found both women had abused Jayalalithaa’s office in a “criminal conspiracy” to accumulate billions of rupees worth of land and other assets.

The verdict derails Sasikala’s political ambitions, which soared after Jayalalithaa’s death.

Her manoeuvres since February 6 have precipitated high drama, including legislators sequestered in a beach resort.

Jayalalithaa — the primary subject in the corruption case — together with Sasikala and two of the latter’s relatives were convicted by a lower court in September 2014. They appealed to the supreme court, which on Tuesday sentenced Sasikala to four years in prison, barred her from contesting elections for six years after her release, and fined her 100 million rupees (Dh5.5m).

Although she had never been active in politics before, after Jayalalithaa’s death, Sasikala moved quickly to take control of her party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

She was elected general secretary in December. In early February, she began angling for the chief minister’s post, which has been filled since Jayalalithaa’s death by O Panneerselvam, a longtime party loyalist.

To become the chief minister, Sasikala had to show she had support from a majority of the legislators in the Tamil Nadu assembly. Initially, Mr Panneerselvam appeared amenable to making way for Sasikala, submitting a letter of resignation and allowing his supporters within the party to back Sasikala for the chief minister’s post.

But on February 7, Mr Panneerselvam accused Sasikala of humiliating him by forcing him to resign, saying: “If the people wish it, I will withdraw my resignation. I will fight to save the party.

In response, as AIADMK general secretary, Sasikala suspended Mr Panneerselvam from the party. Then both politicians began the arduous task of cobbling together the support of at least 117 of the AIADMK’s 134 legislators, to provide the required majority to be chief minister of the 234-seat assembly.

Last Thursday, Sasikala spirited away 125 AIADMK legislators in three buses, installing them in luxury resorts on beaches south of Chennai, believing them to be loyal to her and hoping to shield them from Mr Panneerselvam’s overtures.

But some legislators claimed they were being held hostage, and said they were backing Mr Panneerselvam. On Monday night, one of them, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, scaled a wall to escape his temporary internment in the beach resort.

C Vidyasagar Rao, the governor of Tamil Nadu, was responsible for picking the next chief minister but refrained from making the decision until the supreme court verdict.

After Tuesday’s verdict, Sasikala formally expelled Mr Panneerselvam from the party and named a loyalist, Edapaddi K Palanisamy, to replace her as candidate for chief minister.

Through her party’s Twitter account, Sasikala compared herself to Jayalalithaa, popularly known in her time as “Amma” or mother.

“In the past, whenever Amma was in crisis, I also suffered. This time also, I will take it upon me,” the tweet read. “Dharma [or justice] will prevail.”

Sasikala’s imprisonment will set the stage for a fresh tussle.

The party announced that Mr Palanisamy had sent a letter to the governor with the signatures of the AIADMK legislators supporting him. Mr Panneerselvam can, however, use his newfound advantage — and perhaps even the support from other parties — to prove his majority in the assembly.

Tamil Nadu will now have to wait and see which of the men the governor will choose.

In the hours following Sasikala’s conviction, Mr Panneerselvam expressed confidence to his supporters.

“I bow in humility to your love and affection,” he said. “Amma’s spirit is still around us and will guide us on the right path.”