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September 2017 Edition of Power Politics is updated.  Happy Diwali to all our subscribers and Distributors       September 2017 Edition of Power Politics is updated.   Happy Diwali to all our subscribers and Distributors       
Issue:Sep' 2017

JAYALALITHAA LEGACY

Politics takes a 'right' turn

Santosh Kumar

O Panneerselvam Eight months after her untimely demise, J Jayalalithaa is back at the centrestage of Tamil Nadu politics. That does not mean that she was not at the core of Dravidian politics all these months.
Only, instead of taking forward her legacy among the people of the state, 'orphaned' leaders of her Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were busy outdoing each other in staking claim over her legacy. With one clear contender for the former chief minister's throne, her companion of yore VK Sasikala put behind bars for collaboration with Amma in amassing disproportionate assets, it became clear that the party was heading towards a natural death. That is till the new dispensation at the Centre in

J Jayalalithaa Delhi thought otherwise, to prolong its agonising end. The BJP saw first in O Panneerselvam, the loyalist who turned rebel overnight at the Samadhi of Amma on the Marina, ideal material to work on. But noting that OPS lacks the numbers, a key factor in the democracy practised by saffronites, the Hindutva party decided to change horse midstream.

EK Palaniswami So it was the turn of current chief minister EK Palaniswami, supposedly handpicked by Sasikala and company to counter Panneerselvam, to play second fiddle to BJP. He complied by

VK Sasikala first breaking away from Sasikala's hold and then revolting against her nephew and deputy general secretary of the party, TTV Dinakaran. But since Sasikala and her clan were determined to fight it out rather than surrender meekly, those string pullers thought it was time for EPS and OPS to break bread for the "good of AIADMK".

TTV Dinakaran As a prelude to the "merger" of the two factions, it was decided that the time has come to dispel any doubts regarding the death of Puratchi Thalaivi.
"Various news from various sections and forums are appearing in the media about the death of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma...An enquiry commission headed by the retired high court judge will be set up to look into the death of Idhaya Deivam (God of Heart) Amma," Palaniswami said on Thursday. He added that Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence Veda Nilayam "will be turned into a government memorial and the general public will be allowed entry".

Jayalalithaa's house- Veda Nilayam at Poes Garden in Chennai On the face of it, both issues have been raised earlier by Panneerselvam. But there is no mention about the other demand of OPS, the ouster of Sasikala from the party. So the question arises as to why Palaniswami, who had opposed both the ideas in the past, has had a sudden change of heart? Is it for the good of the party or for a "larger cause"? Or is this yet another work of the apparition that guided Panneerselvam on that fateful night at the Marina last February.
Whatever it may be, definitely some hidden hand is controlling both the incumbent chief minister and his predecessor. Incidentally, Dinakaran and the opposition DMK's Stalin too have demanded a probe into Amma's death, but they prefer a CBI one over a judicial one.
Both things are easier said than done. Given the fact that Palaniswami has not given any hint on when the committee will be constituted or when the enquiry will be completed, it is going to be a long-drawn-out process. So, one can assume that Palaniswami is bargaining for time before coming to a final decision.
Meanwhile, parleys are being held in Delhi to chalk out a compromise formula. It is better not to ask why the talks are not being held in Chennai, and why they are being held in Delhi. Answers are too obvious. The BJP is busy brokering peace between the two and in the process hoping the lotus will bloom between the two. Before even thinking about the absurdity of such a possibility, it would be interesting to see how the enquiry process takes shape. It is considered a miracle that no riots broke out at the time of Jayalalithaa's death. Can anybody guarantee that such a thing would not happen in case Jayalalithaa's body has to be exhumed?
There is room for such hypothetical questions since it involves medical examination. This is just one aspect of the enormous tasks awaiting the enquiry commission which has been welcomed by Apollo Hospital where Amma breathed her last. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22, 2016 with complaints of fever and dehydration. She remained under treatment for 75 days at the end of which she passed away on December 5, 2016.
Veda Nilayam is witness to many a

Veda Nilayam is witness to many a happening in the tumultuous life of Jayalalithaa over the last 25 years that changed the face of Tamil Nadu politics for ever. The house, which is worth more than Rs 90 crore now, was bought by Jayalalithaaa's mother Veda Valli alias Sandhya in 1967 for a meagre Rs 1.32 lakh.

happening in the tumultuous life of Jayalalithaa over the last 25 years that changed the face of Tamil Nadu politics for ever. The house, which is worth more than Rs 90 crore now, was bought by Jayalalithaaa's mother Veda Valli alias Sandhya in 1967 for a meagre Rs 1.32 lakh.
Jayalalitha named the house Veda Nilayam after her mother's death. No one other than Sasikala knows the house inside out. It is rumoured that Jayalalithaa has bequeathed the house to one of Sasikala's nieces but her will itself remains untraced. Jayalalithaa's niece and nephew are already planning to move court over the possession of the house where they too lived till 2002. How is the government going to take over the house removing the cobwebs of litigation surrounding it? Palaniswami and his government seem to be sleepwalking into a catastrophe.
Jayalalithaa must be having a chuckle or two in her grave on the Marina beach over the happenings. By the actions of her followers Jayalalithaa has proved again that she remains even more of an enigma in death than in life.