Unprecedented rains, floods battered Tamil Nadu in 2015

Chennai: Tamil Nadu faced nature's fury in2015 with unprecedented rains and floods pounding several parts of Chennai and its suburbs, leaving over 340 people dead and prompting the Centre to declare it a "calamity of severe nature".

The year also saw the triumphant return of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa as Tamil Nadu chief minister for the fifth time, killing of 20 woodcutters in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in an encounter and launch of Metro Rail.

The northeast monsoon that began in October left a trail of destruction and deluge. There were four heavy phases of rain in November and early this month.

Besides loses to lives, the severe flooding caused heavy damages to crops, cattle and properties across the state. Consequent to Jayalalithaa's appeal to the Centre to declare the rains and floods "national disaster," the government declared it a "calamity of severe nature".

The Jayalalithaa regime, however, continued to be the target of Opposition parties including the DMK over its handling of rains and flood situation. It came under severe criticism over release of surplus waters from Chembarambakkam Reservoir here which was alleged by Opposition as a main cause for unprecedented flooding of most areas.

In May, soon after the Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa and three others of corruption charges in a disproportionate assets case, she returned as chief minister for the fifth time.

Earlier, her trusted lieutenant O Panneerselvam resigned as chief minister. He was at the helm after Jayalalithaa was convicted by a trial court in Bengaluru last year.

The killing of 20 woodcutters of Tamil Nadu in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh by police of the neighbouring state in an encounter in April snowballed into a major controversy. Allegedly involved in smuggling of red sanders, the matter also went to court and a Special Investigation Team was later constituted.

All Tamil Nadu political parties were unequivocal in their view that those killed were poor labourers and the state government gave jobs to each of the kin of those 20 killed.

 In October, Jayalalithaa urged her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu to arrange legal aid for Tamil Nadu labourers lodged in Andhra jails over charges of red-sanders smuggling. Soon after, she constituted a government legal team to secure bail for those in Andhra Pradesh prisons.

By November, out of 516 labourers from Tamil Nadu, 172 had got bail. DMK chief Karunanidhi too deputed his party legal wing to take steps to secure bail for Tamil Nadu labourers.

In Chennai, Metro Rail services were launched in June complementing the southern and northern suburban train networks and the MRTS (Mass Rapid Transit System) trains between Beach and Velachery.

The passing away of former President A P J Abdul Kalam in July left a deep void in Tamil Nadu. Adored and admired by one and all, his death marked the end of a saga of service to the nation and people and inspiring students to dream and achieve big.

In a tribute to him, Jayalalithaa announced that October 15, Kalam's birthday, would be observed as 'Youth Renaissance Day' by the state. An award in his name was also constituted for persons who strive for promotion of scientific growth, humanities and students' welfare.

AIADMK registered two more electoral wins, retaining Srirangam, where polls were held due to Jayalalithaa's disqualification following her conviction in the assets case, even as the leader herself later made her electoral debut from Chennai after securing an acquittal.

Having relinquished her native Srirangam constituency, which AIADMK nominee S Valarmathy won, Jayalalithaa later switched over to RK Nagar constituency in the city post her acquittal and won it by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes.

In DMK, the hold of the party's first family led by M Karunanidhi was re-established, with the nonagenarian politician being elected as its president for the 11th time amid speculation of his son M K Stalin taking over.

With Karunanidhi at the helm of affairs, Stalin continued as Treasurer at the end of organisational polls even as his step sister and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi was elevated as Secretary of DMK Women's Wing.

However, it was not so good news for Karunanidhi's grandnephew and former IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran, with investigating agencies like CBI and ED acting against him and his associates in different cases.

While CBI arrested Maran's key aides including his personal secretary in the illegal telephone exchange case, the ED later attached his property in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal.