Current affairs

From Bengaluru to Chennai in 23 hours...Highlights of VK Sasikala's arrival!

By alagu, 09 February, 2021
Sasikala, ADMK, Tamilnadu, Politics

In an unprecedented fashion of journey, VK Sasikala has finally reached Chennai from Bengaluru in the wee hours of Tuesday after sailing through a sea of supporters all her way with carrying sharp speculations and spotlight over her political resurgence and taking over the leadership of ADMK.

What would have been a journey of around five to six hours from Bengaluru to Chennai had become a journey of 23 straight hours for Sasikala as she displayed heavy roadshows, drama, and the might of her return. She was welcomed by thousands of supporters at every level of her arrival and there were around 56 points where Sasikala stopped by to accept the overwhelming support and welcome from her supporters.  

Putting out the fact that she would possibly take over the power or drift the party from the current leaders through the support showered on her, VK Sasikala's arrival has given a crucial boost to her supporters in her political resurgence ahead of the assembly polls. Political observers say the scale of support offered to her was something that current Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami is yet to reach. As she traveled for 23 hours incessantly, let's take a look at the highlights of her arrival and some of the interesting moments. 

Tribute to Jayalalithaa: Sasikala was staying in a resort in Bengaluru after getting discharged from the hospital. On Monday, she started from Bengaluru to Chennai after paying floral tribute to Jayalalithaa's portrait. She boarded the car used by Jayalalithaa and she began her journey in the midst of a motorcade that resembled the security detail of a foreign leader. 

Sasikala and ADMK are inseparable: VK Sasikala had started from Bengaluru at around 7.30 am on Monday and her departure through the road has stirred nationwide attention and put the ADMK leaders into deep concern and challenge to tackle her arrival. She didn't keep her arrival low at any point in time and she had shown the fullest display and sent out a strong message to the ADMK leaders by placing the ADMK flag on the bonnet of her car. Showcasing that she and ADMK can't be separated, she ruled out the measure of the Tamil Nadu police to somehow stop her from using the ADMK flag. 

Lighting the fire soon after starting from Bengaluru, Sasikala drove towards Tamil Nadu after four years with the ADMK flag and thousands of supporters with ADMK flags around her at every point. When the Krishnagiri police department had asked Sasikala to remove the ADMK flag before entering Tamil Nadu as the sequel of the police complaint moved by the ADMK Ministers, Sasikala twisted the tale and shocked the ADMK leaders by changing the car and traveling in the car that belonged to the ADMK member, who has the legal right to use the ADMK flag in his vehicle. She outsmarted ADMK's plan of blocking her from using the party flag by traveling in the car of an ADMK leader in Krishnagiri and she reached Chennai amid a rousing welcome.

Selfie with Sasikala: The expelled ADMK General Secretary was traveling amid the heavy security presence. The Karnataka police and the personnel from the private security agency had built a fortress around her on her journey. When she was exiting the border of Bengaluru, a man was seen surpassing every security vehicle to rush near Sasikala's car and he was seen asking Jayalalithaa's confidante for a selfie. Sasikala signaled to stop the car and immediately, she was surrounded by the security personnel. However, Sasikala asked the man, who was in his 30s, to come forward and she took a selfie with him leaving everyone with a big surprise. When Sasikala took the selfie, several others had also assembled and taken photos of her following which, the convoy continued towards Chennai. 

A long stretch of travel: According to reports, it took nearly four to five hours for Sasikala to cross Bengaluru and to reach the border of Tamil Nadu as she was in the incessant shower of support and grand welcome with hundreds of thousands of people had gathered to welcome her to Tamil Nadu. As the ADMK leaders were closely watching the developments, Sasikala's nephew and AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran had thrown a bombshell at ADMK leaders by claiming that the supporters who carry the ADMK flags belong to the ADMK and not from AMMK. Shocked by his statement, ADMK leaders are mulling to keep control of the party and members. 

Celebrations went wrong: When Sasikala crossed a tollgate in Krishnagiri district, the fireworks that were kept to celebrate her arrival and blasted due to a mishap and the accident had charred two cars that weren't part of her motorcade. However, the reports say that no lives were lost due to the incident and fire department personnel were deployed to the spot and doused the fire. The Krishnagiri police department has launched a probe into the incident. 

Boarding a caravan, stirring furor: When Sasikala was traveling in the car that belonged to the ADMK member, she suddenly disembarked and boarded a caravan used by the leaders during the election campaigns. While it had stirred furor among the ADMK leaders on whether she is going to address the crowd about the speculations of a political resurgence, it was later said that she got shifted to a caravan to take food, following which the furor came to an end. 

Offering Prayers to 'Amma(n)':  On her way to Chennai from Bengaluru and amid sailing through the rousing welcome, VK Sasikala had stopped in Hosur on Monday afternoon and offered her prayers at Goddess Muthumari Amman Temple along with her relatives. Sasikala was seen wrapped with a cloth that resembled the party colour of ADMK around her neck. 

Garlanding her car through a crane: Sasikala has sailed through the rousing welcome at every point and when she reached Kandhikuppam in Krishnagiri district, the supporters had gone one step further in the fashion of welcoming her as they had made a garland of 500 kilograms made up of fruits and flower and they used a crane to put the giant garland not to her but to her car. The garland was put on her car for some seconds as she stopped by at the point and later it was lifted up by the crane. It has become one of the significant styles in her welcome pack. 

Speaking for the first time in four years: After four years of imprisonment, Sasikala had addressed her supporters for the first time publicly. When she reached Thirupathur district at around 6 pm on Monday, she addressed the people who gathered there and it was seen as a strong message to the ADMK leaders. During her address, she revealed her plans and asserted that she will definitely plunge into active politics. She further called her supporters to stay united to take on the rival. She said that she will address everyone soon and added that the police complaint filed by the ministers against her had shown that they are in fear. 

Got closer to Chennai: Pushing the ADMK leaders to face fresh troubles within the party, Sasikala has reached Vellore district at around 11.30 pm on Monday, nearly 15 hours after starting from Bengaluru. But, there was no downscale of the rousing welcome as the supporters and the members of AMMK stood even at the midnight hours to welcome her. The members had raised slogans in favor of Sasikala and claimed that she is going to the power center in the party after Jayalalithaa. 

When it was speculated that she would reach Chennai in two hours from Vellore, her journey continued for nearly five hours and she had seen supporters welcoming her at every point even at midnight, and Sasikala had never got exhausted and accepted the support and welcome. The visuals taken at around 2 am had shown supporters offering a traditional welcome to Sasikala, which has become an unprecedented fashion. 

From Jayalalithaa to MGR: Amid the rousing welcome, Sasikala had finally reached Chennai in the wee hours of Tuesday at around 5 am and concluded her 23-hour long journey. She arrived at the residence of ADMK Founder MG Ramachandran in Ramapuram, Chennai and she was grandly welcomed by the family members and her supporters. After reaching MGR's residence, she paid floral tribute to MGR. She started from Bengaluru by paying tribute to Jayalalithaa and ended her journey by paying tribute to MG Ramachandran, following which she has reached the residence that belongs to Krishnapriya, the daughter of Ilavarasi, in T Nagar, Chennai, which would become her new address. 

 

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