AIADMK chief VK Sasikala was the closest aide of her predecessor J Jayalalithaa.
About 15,000 cops have been posted across Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai this morning ahead of a Supreme Court verdict in a corruption case against VK Sasikala, chief of the ruling AIADMK. There is extra security at the Raj Bhavan, where Governor C Vidyasagar Rao lives, at offices of political parties and at the bungalow in posh Poes Garden where Ms Sasikala lives, the home she shared with former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who died in December last year.
Ms Sasikala spent the night about 80 km away from Chennai in a five star resort in Mahabalipuram where she has kept legislators from her party sequestered for almost a week to prevent them from being poached by O Panneerselvam, who is the interim chief minister. Ms Sasikala has staked claim to the post of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and hopes that the Supreme Court will today uphold a High Court verdict acquitting her.
If that happens, the AIADMK plans a massive victory rally from the Golden Bay Resort in Mahabalipuram to Chennai, which will test the police's preparedness. Ms Sasikala will travel with about 120 MLAs in a cavalcade and reportedly plans to parade before the Governor, demanding that she be sworn in as chief minister immediately. Security has been tightened at the resort too.
The police has also prepped for an adverse judgement against Ms Sasikala, arresting about 4,000 people in the last few days to prevent trouble. If the court finds her guilty of helping Ms Jayalalithaa amass crores in assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, it will send Ms Sasikala to jail.
Mr Panneerselvam, who says he should remain chief minister and has challenged Ms Sasikala's claim that she has support of most of their party's legislators. Team Panneerselvam alleges that Ms Sasikala is holding party MLAs "hostage" at the Mahabalipuram resort without letting anyone meet them.
A police report to the Madras High Court yesterday that 119 legislators at the resort do not complain of being held against their will was based on a "cursory check," said the state's education minister K Pandiarajan, who recently sided with Mr Panneerselvam.
Mr Pandiarajan said the chief minister had reviewed security and said the rings of AIADMK workers blocking "free access" to the legislators were being removed.