CHENNAI: Narendra Modi has worn many hats in the past two years: campaigner, globetrotter, administrator, enforcer (of demonetisation).... on Tuesday, he played consoler to those grieving for a long-time comrade.

The Prime Minister spent over 10 minutes at Chennai's Rajaji Hall, where Jayalalithaa lay in state, paying his respects to a friend who had stuck by him even when he was being castigated over the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The two would attend each other's swearing-ins, and he had had lunch at her home in August last year. Although Modi had not visited Jayalalithaa at hospital, he received regular updates from the governor and the AIIMS doctors who were treating her.

As Modi walked briskly up towards Jayalalithaa's body today, chief minister O. Panneerselvam greeted him with a namaste before dissolving into uncontrollable sobs. The Prime Minister immediately held him by the shoulder and patted him gently.

Modi spent about five minutes in front of Jayalalithaa's body, hands folded and eyes closed. He placed a wreath before stepping across to Jayalalithaa's confidante and companion Sasikala.

As he spoke a few words of consolation, Sasikala burst into tears, prompting Modi to place a hand on her head. Panneerselvam joined them, still weeping, and Modi again put his arm round the chief minister.

The Prime Minister then came down the stairs and greeted the crowd with a long namaste, as if reaching out to them in their hour of grief. He did this twice as the massive crowd roared its appreciation.

He then climbed back up towards Jayalalithaa's body and again offered a long prayer. As he turned to leave, BJP Rajya Sabha member L. Ganesan introduced M. Natarajan, Sasikala's husband, to him.

Modi held his hand briefly and then moved towards the exit only to find Panneerselvam sobbing again. Another round of consolation followed.

Then, as he was about to get into his car, the Prime Minister nodded towards Panneerselvam only to see the chief minister break down. This time Modi stepped forward and held him in a long bear hug before driving away.

To some, it may have seemed as though Modi was symbolically pledging to help protect Jayalalithaa's political legacy, the next challenge before her party.

The DMK and its allies, who together have 98 MLAs, need only 20 more to destabilise the state government in a House of 234.

-The Telegraph Calcutta