VK Sasikala, Set To Surrender In Bengaluru

CHENNAI Feb 15: �Before she surrenders and heads to jail, AIADMK chief VK Sasikala has this morning inducted her nephews TTV Dhinakaran and S Venkatesh into the party. Mr Dhinakaran, who was expelled from the party by J Jayalalithaa in 2011, was appointed deputy general secretary of the AIADMK ensuring that the control of the party remains in the hands of Ms Sasikala's family. Ms Sasikala is expected to surrender today in Bengaluru to begin a four-year jail term ordered by the Supreme Court, which has found her guilty of corruption.

The court verdict ended her plans to become Tamil Nadu's next chief minister. Ms Sasikala, who received the news from Delhi at a five-star resort beach resort 80 km away from Chennai, returned to her Poes Garden residence in the state capital late last night after presiding over the election of her loyalist Edappadi K Palanisamy to lead the ruling party in the state assembly, in a bid to ensure that her rival O Panneerselvam does not continue as chief minister. Over 120 party legislators are reportedly still at the resort said one of them, Ilambai Thamilchelvan, stating that they are waiting for the Governor to invite Mr Palanisamy, who staked claim last evening, to form government.