The unveiling of late J Jayalalithaa’s picture in the legislative Assembly Hall on Monday marked the unveiling of the possibility of a political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Despite the announcement by the principal Opposition party DMK that the party would boycott the Monday’s function, chinks in the Opposition alliance came out in the open as Vijayadharini, the mercurial Congress MlA, who is also the chief of State chief of the Mahila Congress graced the occasion, complimented and greeted P Dhanapal, the Speaker of the legislative Assembly, who unveiled the portrait of the Former Chief Minister and supremo of the AIADMK.
M K Stalin, leader of the Opposition and the working president of the party in the absence of his ailing father, had declared that his party was against the unveiling of Jayalalithaa’s portrait in the legislative Assembly hall as she was a convict. “The late Jayalalithaa had been convicted by the Supreme Court in the Disproportionate Asset Case as she was the prime accused in the case. Unveiling of her portrait in the legislative Assembly would send wrong signal to the people as it is not proper to honour a convict,” Stalin had told reporters on Sunday. “J Anbazhagan, the DMK MlA, had filed a petition in the Madras High Court challenging the move by the Government to unveil the portrait of Jayalalithaa. But the Government arranged the meeting for 9 30 am hours before the court sits for its session. This shows that the AIADMK is misusing its power,” said Stalin.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Vijayadharani said there was nothing wrong in greeting the Speaker for unveiling the portrait of Jayalalithaa in the legislative Assembly Hall. “I was informed by the party not to attend the function and I went inside the Hall only after the function got over. The decision to unveil the portrait of Jayalalithaa should be welcomed and greeted. This is the first time the portrait of a woman leader was installed in the Assembly. Jayalalithaa was a great leader and she as the Chief Minister of the State for 15 years. Above all, she is a woman who made it to the top of politics in a male dominated society,” said Vijayadharani.
She also pointed out that Jayalalithaa was not a convict on the day she breathed her last. “The Supreme Court verdict came after her passing away. Hence she did not get a chance to file an appeal and prove her innocence,” Vijayadharani, herself a practicing lawyer, added.
Political Tamil Nadu is not at all surprised by Vijayadharani’s action. “The Congress and the AIADMK were allies for a long time. They fought the 1999 and 2001 lok Sabha and Assembly elections together. If the Congress leadership feels that the party is not getting a proper deal from the DMK, there is every possibility of a political realignment in the State,” said V Anpazhagan , columnist and author.
What stood out in the function was the green sari worn by Vijayadharani, who is famous for selecting her wardrobe. “You might have noticed that Jayalalithaa wears a green sari in the portrait,” said Vijayadharani.