Chennai, Sep 18 (PTI) The ruling AIADMK on Friday took stock of the political developments including the possible release of V K Sasikala from prison in January 2021 and announced convening its executive committee meeting for a consultative process on the strategy for the Assembly polls next year.

Sasikala, aide of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and lodged in a Bengaluru prison upon conviction in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case, is likely to be released on January 27, 2021, provided she pays the court levied fine amount of Rs 10 crore.

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The decision on holding the executive meeting was taken at a meeting of senior leaders of the AIADMK chaired by Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Co-coordinator and chief minister K Palaniswami here on Friday evening.

During the meet, which lasted about one-and-a-half hours, the leaders discussed several issues including the party's growth, alliance, and Sasikala's release.

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"We discussed about her release too. Basically, today's meeting was to deliberate on the measures to further strengthen the party and a strategy to face the Assembly election next year," a senior leader, who did not want to be named, said.

He said it was vital to convene the party's executive committee and general council meetings ahead of the election. "We are progressing on a development path. We discussed further bifurcating or trifurcating the districts in the AIADMK for administrative reasons," he said. During the meeting, both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam discussed about strengthening the party with the district office-bearers.

Later, in a joint statement the two leaders announced convening the AIADMK executive committee meeting on September 28 at the party headquarters here.

The AIADMK, which stormed to power in the state in 2011 with a massive majority under Jayalalithaa's leadership, retained power five years later and is eyeing a third term in 2021.

Sasikala's possible release is also being debated in state political circles but the ruling party has said her walking out of the Parappana Agrahara in January 2021 will not make any difference to the AIADMK.

If Sasikala fails to pay the Rs 10 crore fine amount, she would have to spend another 13 months in the jail, according to Karnataka Prison authorities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)