Ahead of a Supreme Court verdict that will decide her political future, AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala has said she will spend the night at a five-star resort near Chennai where she has kept about 120 legislators sequestered for almost a week. Tomorrow morning the Supreme Court will rule whether Ms Sasikala is guilty of colluding with former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the early 1990s to acquire an illicit fortune worth about 60 crores. If the judges confirm a High Court order acquitting her, there will be no legal hurdle in her taking oath as Chief Minister and she then has to prove in a trust vote that she has majority support in the state assembly. If the court convicts her, Ms Sasikala will be knocked out of the race for the Chief Minister's post; she cannot then hold public office or contest elections for six years. "I look at everything positively. We will continue this government," Ms Sasikala said. O Panneerselvam, who took charge of the state after J Jayalalithaa died in December and who says he must remain in the top post.
