Triangular fight rages for Jayalalithaa's legacy

Chennai: Fight to inherit the political legacy of J Jayalalithaa intensified on Friday on her 69th birthday with the groups of three people — VK Sasikala, O Panneerselvam and Deepa Jayakumar — claiming that they are the true followers of the late leader.

All three factions celebrated the birthday of the late leader, the first after her death on December 5, 2016 by distributing freebies across the state and exchanging barbs against each other. On its part, the Tamil Nadu Government commemorated the event in a fittingly serious manner by launching a massive drive to plant 69 lakh saplings at a cost of Rs 66 crore and inaugurating a photo exhibition on the late chief minister.

Ms Deepa Jayakumar, niece of the late CM, announced the launch of MGR-Amma-Deepa Peravai and declared that she would contest the ensuing by-elections to the R K Nagar constituency, which was represented by her late aunt and vowed to “retrieve Two Leaves” symbol of the AIADMK. Whether enough thought was paid to the acronym – MAD — of the party name is open to question.

While the celebrations by the Sasikala camp of AIADMK were subdued due to the leader being in jail, the camp led by Panneerselvam went a step further in claiming late Jayalalithaa’s legacy by organising a massive public meeting in RK Nagar, where Mr Panneerselvam vowed to “redeem AIADMK and Amma’s government” from the clutches of “Sasikala’s family.” The only event by the Sasikala faction was garlanding of Jayalalithaa’s portrait at the party office on Avvai Shanmugam Salai, which was attended by chief minister Edappadi K Palanisami and senior members of the cabinet.

But the larger question that political commentators raise is whether the legacy of Jayalalithaa is worth fighting for. Political commentator Gnani Sankaran says late M G Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi and late J Jayalalithaa have a common legacy – “corruption and welfarism.” “If anyone of these persons – be it Sasikala, Panneerselvam or Deepa - claim the legacy of Jayalalithaa, they are telling the people of TN that they would continue to be corrupt while carrying out some welfare measures,” Mr Gnani told Deccan Chronicle.