Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is not attending the lone official function participated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Chennai on Friday. The Prime Minister is flying down to Chennai on Friday to inaugurate the National Khadi Day being organised by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The invitation card does not bear the name of Jayalalithaa though it has listed Governor K Rosaiah and Tamil Nadu Ministers O Panneerselvam and Gokul Indira as participants.
The presence of Panneerselvan, the de facto number two in the Tamil Nadu Government is an indication that the Chief Minister’s absence is due to her inability because of personal reasons. This has set political tongues wagging in every corner and different stories are being spun about Jayalalithaa’s intentions including the health factor which is doing the rounds in the State.
However, there is also a rumour that after the official function, Prime Minister Modi may drive down to Veda Nilayam, Jayalalithaa’s residence at the exclusive Poes Garden in Chennai. The Chief Minister did not attend the funeral of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at Rameswaram on July 29 citing health reasons. The Prime Minister had attended the last rites of the former President and led the nation in paying homage to Kalam.
Veteran political analyst N Kalyanasundaram says there is nothing unusual in Prime Minister Modi calling on Jayalalithaa. “Both share a long friendship. Jayalalithaa has attended Modi’s swearing in as Gujarat Chief Minister and the latter was present for Jaya’s swearing in. There is nothing surprising in Modi calling on Jayalalithaa,” Kalyanasundaram told The Pioneer.
The AIADMK has 37 members in the lok Sabha, making it the third largest party in the House while it has 11 members in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP is in a minority.
Interestingly, Jayalalithaa’s health is the most widely discussed issue in Tamil Nadu along with the anti-prohibition agitation. But the Chief Minister seems unperturbed about the campaign by her political rivals and attends her secretariat work routinely though she has cut down her public appearances.