Chennai, Mar 5 (IANS): Expelled interim general secretary of AIADMK, V.K.Sasikala who is on a two-day South Tamil Nadu visit, has met some senior party functionaries.

The former aide of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, met functionaries in Theni, Madurai, Dindigul, Tirunelveli districts. She will be meeting many officials on Saturday also, sources close to her told IANS.

Sasikala, according to her iterinary, is on a pilgrimage to famous temples like Tiruchandur, Vijayapathi Sri Vishwamithrar and a few others at Radhapauram in South Tamil Nadu.

She was given a rousing welcome at Tuticorin airport where she arrived on Friday with supporters carrying AIADMK flags flanking both sides of the road.

Several party leaders conveyed to her that she has to come back and take the reins of the party for the AIADMK to make a comeback and that this was an opportune time.

The Theni district committee of the party had recently passed a resolution calling for reinducting Sasikala and her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran back to the party fold.

Interestingly, the brother of AIADMK chief coordinator and former Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam, O.Raja met Sasikala at a hotel in Tiruchandur. Raja is reportedly close to Sasikala during the early years of AIADMK politics and was a close confidant of TTV Dhinakaran also.

The powerful Thevar community which has a major presence in all constituencies of South Tamil Nadu to which both Sasikala and Panneerselvam belong, has already called for a truce between the two and demanded the induction of the former Jaya aide.

Dr R. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai while speaking to IANS said, "The writ of the powerful Thevar community is running large here in South Tamil Nadu and it is only a matter of time before Sasikala takes over the reins of AIADMK. It may not bring immediate political results but a Dravidian political party needs strong leaders with a strong will and Sasikala has learned the tricks of the trade from her mentor, late Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa."