Amid Political Drama, Sasikala's Husband Confirms Her Family's In The Picture

Chennai: As VK Sasikala headed to jail to serve a four-year sentence for corruption, her banished relatives made a comeback to the spotlight. Two of her nephews are back in the AIADMK, years after they were expelled by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. In further evidence that Ms Sasikala's family remains a big part of Tamil Nadu's unfolding political drama, her 'estranged' husband, M Natarajan, told NDTV that he's in touch with her.

Mr Natarajan was among some dozen relatives expelled by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa from her Poes Garden home, supposedly as they were working against her.

Ms Jayalalithaa took Ms Sasikala back in on the condition that she would end all ties with her family, including Mr Natarajan. But Mr Natarajan told NDTV, "Yes, I'm in touch with Sasikala. I am going to the airport (to fly to Bengaluru for Sasikala's surrender before the court)." Ms Sasikala headed to Bengaluru by road.

"We will respect the will of the court," said Mr Natarajan, before pulling away in a grey BMW.

TTV Dinakaran and Venkatesh, both expelled in 2011, returned to the AIADMK in what was viewed as a move designed to help their 61-year-old aunt run Tamil Nadu's ruling party by proxy.

Ms Sasikala's husband Natarajan said it was the party's decision to bring them back. He also asserted that he would not leave his wife's side.

Yesterday, Ms Sasikala was held guilty by the Supreme Court, along with Jayalalithaa, of amassing a fortune beyond her known sources of income in the 1990s, when she and her family members lived and allegedly operated from the former Chief Minister's Poes Garden home.

Ms Sasikala's nephew Sudhakaran and sister-in-law V Ilavarasi were also convicted and sentenced to jail.

Recently, after being appointed general secretary of the AIADMK, Ms Sasikala dropped her husband's name and took on the prefix "VK" - her maiden name.