Amid swirling speculations, the release date of expelled ADMK leader VK Sasikala, who was the closest aide of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, is confirmed on Tuesday after the counsel of the jailed leader had shared the news on her release, which has been making headlines across and beyond the state as the ADMK party and Tamil Nadu are bracing up for her comeback ahead of the state assembly polls. 

Issuing confirmation on her release, Sasikala's lawyer Raja Senthoor Pandian has on Tuesday said that he has received official papers from the prison department concerning Sasikala's release in which it has given official confirmation that Sasikala will be getting released on January 27, the date that has been in speculations over her release. As it has been officially confirmed, VK Sasikala gets ready to give a comeback to Tamil Nadu and her release has been expected to put more trouble to the ADMK. 

 Sasikala has been serving a four-year prison sentence in Bengaluru Parappana Agrahara Central prison since February 2017 after getting convicted in the Disproportionate Assets case in which Jayalalithaa was the first accused. Along with Sasikala, the court had convicted her relatives Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran and each of them was imposed with fine of Rs 10 crore. Sasikala had a controversial jail term after she was accused of violating the prison orders and enjoying more luxuries in the prison. 

However, she hadn't faced any charges related to the violations and though she is behind the bars, she has been one of the active political objects in the state. Following her imprisonment, the current ADMK rulers had expelled her from the party following which Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran had launched his outfit under Sasikala to rival the ADMK. Her release has been one of the incessant points of discussion in the state and her legal counsel Raja Senthoor Pandian had been hinted of a possible early release due to good prison conduct. 

Pandian had earlier said that she would be getting released in October. However, following a stir around her release, an RTI activist had asked the Prison department on when Sasikala would be released, and responding to the RTI query, the prison department said that he would be expected to get released on January 27. The prison department said that she would be imprisoned for one more year if she fails to pay the fine of Rs 10 crore. 

Following that, her legal team prepared to clear the fine amount, and recently, they had paid the fine amount to the concerned court and Sasikala herself had moved the petition on November 19 demanding early release. Pandian has been asserting the early release while the jailed leader was surfaced around the speculations that she would be released on January 27. The speculations have now come true as her counsel has now confirmed that Sasikala would be getting released from prison on January 27. 

Earlier in December, the reports close the developments said that the Karnataka prison department has been on high alert and working out the security measures to enhance the security from the prison premises to the state border as Sasikala is nearing her release. According to our sources, the Karnataka Home department has sent an advisory to Bangalore police and the Parappana Agrahara prison officials concerning the measures that need to be followed during Sasikala's release. In that advisory, the Home department has asked the prison officials to arrange security measures at least two days prior to her release.

By citing that thousands of Sasikala's supporters would march towards prison on her release, the home department has asked the police to barricade the supporters at the state border to ensure to avoid any untoward incidents and to maintain law and order in the state. As it's confirmed that she would be released on January 27, in ten days from now, it has stirred fresh speculations on where she could possibly stay after her release. 

While her new house, opposite to Jayalalithaa's residence in Poes Garden, has invited trouble in September 2020 under the grounds of the Benami Prohibition Act, it was speculated that she would be staying in her property in ECR. However, the reports close the developments say that since she is mulling to get back on active politics, she would opt-out of staying far away from the city. The reports say the chances are highly likely that Sasikala could stay in T Nagar, Chennai in the residence that belongs to Krishnapriya, who is the daughter of Ilavarasi. 

It must be noted that Sasikala had earlier stayed at the same residence when she came out on a five-day parole n October 2017. Her advocate Pandian said that amid these speculations, Sasikala has to make a final call on where she wants to stay after her release. As Tamil Nadu is ten days ahead to witness Sasikala walking out of the prison, the ADMK has been preparing to ensure that the party won't face any fresh revolts and divide in wake of her release. 

With the view to that, the ADMK party has on Tuesday, after the confirmation of Sasikala's release, announced that the party would be organizing the meet with the district secretaries on January 22 during which, the reports say, that the party would be discussing Sasikala's release and how to address fresh political storm. Hours ahead of the official confirmation on her release, the Tamil Nadu government has announced that former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's memorial will be inaugurated on January 27. Earlier, on Tuesday, when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami addressed the reporters in Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that there is no possibility that Sasikala will join the party again.