Ever since J Jayalalithaa had demised, the ADMK, which was the strongest contender for the DMK in Tamil Nadu, has been in a political crisis as the fortress built by Jayalalithaa had collapsed after her passing away, which triggered a race between the second line leaders to win her succession. The race has become unending and it has sparked a dispute in the party which is getting fueled at important events.

While there were disputes and tussles in the high command of the party during the elections, Jayalalithaa's closest aide VK Sasikala is now the epicentre of the latest dispute, which has become apparent evidence that the crisis in the party is far away from a solution. Sasikala's latest bombshell for the ADMK's leadership had directed fresh dispute as the party's leadership, despite the ongoing dissents, has pushed to do whatever it can to barricade Sasikala's entry. 

As Sasikala announced in March that she is quitting active politics, the latest shock to the ADMK leaders was unveiled through the audio clip in which Sasikala is heard saying that she is ready for a political comeback. The audio clip, which was released on Saturday, has been going viral on social media with many of her supporters welcoming her to make a political resurgence. In the audio clip, which was in the capacity to assume that it was intentionally released, Sasikala says that she would take over the ADMK. 

She vows that she would drive the party on the path laid by 'Thalaivar' (ADMK's founder MG Ramachandran) and 'Amma' (J Jayalalithaa). She says to a cadre over the phone, "I will come and set things right in the party and take it on Thalaivar's and Amma's path. So many of you cadres have reposed faith in me. I will definitely not let you down. I will come back soon." The audio clip which is rampantly spread on social media has again given a Himalayan task to Edappadi Palaniswami to retain control in the party.

The audio clip is clear and clearly is a shock to Palaniswami that Sasikala is returning to the spotlight. While he recently won the battle with Panneerselvam by winning the race for the Tamil Nadu Opposition leader following the debacle in the assembly polls, Palaniswami is set to contain a wave of dissent against him in the party. On the other hand, Sasikala's audio didn't cause tension to O Panneerselvam as the latter has been mulling to allying with her after souring relationship with Edappadi Palaniswami. 

According to a news agency, ADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam had reached out to Sasikala through her close associates, during the lockdown. As the tension escalates between Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, the coordinator has decided to ally with Sasikala to collapse Palaniswami's surge in the party and the recent developments had suggested that the state is close to witnessing another episode of dispute in the party. 

The reports say that Sasikala had made more than 100 calls over the past few days to the ADMK cadres and all of them had endorsed their support to her and urged her to return to politics and take over the ADMK party from the current leaders. Following the leaked audio clip, one of the cadres, Balakrishnan in Erode, who received a call from Sasikala, had erected digital posters in support of Sasikala and demand of building a single leadership in the ADMK.

During her phone call, Sasikala was sounded confident to the cadres and she was heard counselling the cadres to be strong and not get disheartened. She said to the cadres, "You are all with me. I don't have any fear. We will strengthen the party together." The political experts say Sasikala's phone call and audio clip were a strong signal not to Panneerselvam but to Palaniswami that she is getting ready for political resurgence, a factor that would irk Palaniswami.

The audio clip has stunned the leaders close to Palaniswami as they are working out to block Sasikala's entry. As the audio clip and phone calls from Sasikala have been changing the minds of the ground-level workers to support Sasikala's re-entry. After smelling that Sasikala's entry would collapse his citadel in the party, Palaniswami has met the leaders of his camp and on Monday, ADMK's leader KP Munusamy had addressed the reporters regarding Sasikala's efforts to come back. 

KP Munusamy said that Sasikala would less likely be accepted to the party. He said, "If Amma's soul has to be in peace, it is better that she (Sasikala) keeps quiet and keeps away. There is no circumstance under which she can enter the party. There is no possibility. Every single ADMK cadre is clear about it." Munusamy had claimed that some forces are trying to cause confusion in the party by using Sasikala at a time when ADMK is functioning as the Opposition party in the state assembly. 

He maintained, "Not a single ADMK cadre will fall for this confusion. Their intention will not come true. I also listened to the audio clips. No cadre has spoken to her. She's the one who is calling them." Sasikala's audio clip has come weeks after the ADMK had conceded the defeat in the polls. After serving four-year imprisonment in Bengaluru, Sasikala returned to Chennai in February this year, two months before the crucial assembly polls. 

While it was speculated that she will make a political resurgence before the assembly polls and take over the ADMK, she had on March announced that she is quitting active politics. Her announcement had poured a major relief to Edappadi Palaniswami to enjoy his captaincy in the party, but his relief has become temporary as Sasikala tends to come back to politics. It was earlier speculated that Sasikala will decide her political future after the election results and as the ADMK faced a debacle in the polls, Sasikala is all set to put Palaniswami's leadership to a real test, probably with the help and support of O Panneerselvam.