It was on September 22, 2016 the then Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai reportedly due to fever and dehydration. On the occasion of the anniversary of her hospitalisation and months before her first death anniversary (which falls on December 5), political stage of Tamil Nadu has been taken over by a motley crowd of wannabe Chief Ministers. The list includes M K Stalin of the DMK and the new entrant Kamal Haasan, the film actor-turned-activist-turned-crusader against the AIADMK Government.
Sources close to the DMK leadership said Stalin was flabbergasted by the Haasan’s announcement that he too was in the race for the chief ministership. The DMK working president had given space to the film star in party functions hoping that the latter would endorse the Dravidian party in the forthcoming elections to the lok Sabha as well as the Assembly elections in the State.
Besides Stalin and Kamal Haasan, there are five more contenders for the post of Chief Minister. Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK), Vijayakant (DMDK), TTV Dinakaran (AIADMK rebel), O Panneerselvam (AIADMK –APTA), are the others who have pitched in with their Chief Ministerial dreams. Another Tamil super star, Rajnikant, is getting ready to launch his political party and announce his candidature for the post of Chief Minister.
Till Jayalalithaa and the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi ruled the roost in the State, no other persons including Stalin, Karunanidhi’s favourite son, dared to make it known to the public about their ambition to don the mantle of the top job in the State.
On Thursday, Kamal Haasan declared that his ambition was to become the Chief Minister. The day also saw Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, air dashing to Chenai and closeting with Haasan for almost one hour. While Haasan declared himself as a crusader against corruption of the AIADMK Government, he was mute about the corruption charges against DMK leaders Kanimozhi (Karunanidhi’s daughter by his third wife), A Raja (former Union Minister for Telecommunications) the Maran brothers (grand nephews of Karunanidhi) who are all accused in the 2G spectrum kick back case being heard in a New Delhi court.
Meanwhile, the Dinakaran faction of the AIADMK suffered a major jolt on Friday as M Vasanthi, the party MP crossed over to the Palaniswamy camp. She told reporters at Chennai that she was shocked over the secret alliance between Dinakaran and Stalin of the DMK to topple the Government formed by Amma (read Jayalalithaa).
She also said that the 18 pro-Dinakaran MlAs staying at Coorg were being held much against their wish. “Is it fair for Dinakaran to say he would topple this Government formed by Amma even by aligning with the DMK and StalinIJ
Amma worked selflessly for the people. How can that government be toppledIJ” asked Vasanthi.