As Tamil Nadu is months away from the assembly polls and days away from the release of VK Sasikala, who was the closest aide of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the state ruling ADMK party is prepared to hold a crucial meet to discuss the existing challenges ahead of the legislative elections. 

On Friday, the ADMK leadership has called a meeting of its General Council and Executive Committee on January 9 and the meeting will begin at 8.50 am on Saturday and will be hosted by Shrivaaru Venkatachalapathy Palace at Vanagaram in Chennai and the members of both the bodies are advised to attend the meeting, which would be the last high-level meeting of the party in its current rule. 

According to reports, the meeting was called by ADMK's Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam, and Joint Coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had called the meeting. It has been expected that, during the meeting, both the top bodies will grant the powers to the leadership - Panneerselvam and Palanswami to decide on the electoral alliance and other matters including the seat-sharing of the allied parties and countering the allegations from the opposition. 

The reports say that apart from the alliance, the meeting is expected to have discussion on the release of jailed leader VK Sasikala and how to tackle the fresh challenges and tussles that would emerge within the party following her release. Sasikala has been convicted in the Disproportionate Assets case and has been serving four years of imprisonment in Bengaluru Central prison since February 2017. 

Sasikala's lawyer has confirmed that she will be getting released on January 27, three months ahead of the assembly polls. Though the ADMK incessantly claimed that Sasikala's comeback won't cause any adverse effect to the party, the leaders are getting to brace up for fresh troubles and political storm after her release. Her release would be one of the major challenges that lie ahead of the party months before the assembly polls, in which Edappadi Palaniswami is hoping to form the ADMK government for the third consecutive time. 

The Chief Minister has been hoping to become the perfect successor for Jayalalithaa and the face of the party. However, he is going to face the tough task of leading the party and having the leaders under his control after the release of Sasikala. Her release would be an important topic that would be discussed at the party's meeting. 

The meeting would be presided over by the party Presidium Chairman Madhusudhanan and the leadership had asked the members of the two bodies to come to the meeting with their report that they had tested negative for the COVID-19 viral infection. The members are advised to wear the facemasks and observe social distancing at the meeting. 

Must-read: New tension for ADMK: VK Sasikala gets ready! Will the party be the same after January 27?