MLAs rush to offer seat to make way for Jayalalithaa to become legislator

Chennai/Thoothukudi: In the wake of the Karnataka high court verdict on Monday, it is now a race among AIADMK MLAs to vacate their seats to make way for Ms Jayalalithaa to become a legislator.

(Though she can be sworn in as Chief Minister now, she should become an MLA within six months.)

Not to be outdone is PMK rebel legislator M. Kalaiarasu representing Anaicut assembly constituency in Vellore district. He has volunteered to resign his MLA seat to enable the former Chief Minister to contest from his constituency.

When reporters asked the Srirangam MLA Valarmathi as to whether she would quit her seat, she shot back saying “This post was given by Amma; whatever Amma says will be executed”.  At present, there is no vacant seat. Jayalalithaa has six months to get elected as an MLA.

The ruling party MLAs should elect Jayalalithaa as the leader of the AIADMK legislature party leader. This should be conveyed to the Election Commission along with a vacant Assembly seat by May 23. This would technically help Ms Jayalalithaa to continue as CM till next May”, said sources in the public (election) department.

Visitors, well-wishers send bouquets, greetings

Bouquets and greetings continued pouring in on Tuesday for Ms Jayalalithaa who was acquitted by the Karnataka high court on Monday in the assets case against her. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday extended their greetings to Jayalalithaa over phone. Jayalalithaa’s posh Poes Garden residence continues to see rush of visitors and well-wishers even though she remains incommunicado. There is heavy police presence at her residence. 

A statement from the AIADMK party headquarters said that besides political leaders, several eminent personalities from cinema industry, academicians and industrialists extended their greetings. Academician Y. G. Parthasarathy, music director Deva, Veenai Gayathiri, singer P. Susheela and director P, Vaasu were among those who greeted the AIADMK supremo.

The State Secretariat, which witnessed a lull till last week, saw hectic activity on Tuesday. Party workers thronged Fort St.George to meet Ministers and district secretaries. Sweets were shared in several ministers' cabins. However, party cadres who wished to share their joy with the Chief Minister O Panneerselvam were disappointed as he did not turn up on Monday and Tuesday.

21 AIADMK men fulfil vow, tonsure head

Twenty one AIADMK men of Thoothukudi tonsured their heads in fulfilment of their vow that their party leader and former chief minister Jayalalithaa be acquitted from the wealth case against her. 

Local administration minister Velumani also tonsured his head to fulfill his vow to Lord Subramanyaswamy at Tiruchendur on Tuesday.

Also, hundreds of party workers of Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts organised special poojas at the Subamanyaswamy temple at Tiruchendur, Mutharamman temple at Kulasekarapattinam, the rock cut Kazhugasalamurthy temple at Kazhugumalai, Swamy Nellaiyappar temple in Tirunelveli, Sankaranayanan temple at Sankarankoil and  Kasi Vishwanathar temple at Tenkasi.

Thoothukudi Mayor A. B. R. Anthony Grace, who organised the head tonsuring, said it was to thank God for helping ‘Amma’ to successfully go through the 'agni pariksha’.

She cut a lock of her hair as a symbol of tonsure.

E. Bhuwaneswari, mayor of neighbouring Tirunelveli, also tonsured her head.