Both Panneerselvam and Sasikala flaunt loyalty to Jayalalithaa

(From left) Sasikala, Jayalalithaa and Panneerselvam

CHENNAI: The churn in Chennai brings grim tidings to political parties led by a single person and bereft of a succession plan or inner-party institutions. Both O. Panneerselvam and V.K. Sasikala are flaunting their proximity to the late Jayalalithaa. Sasikala may not be having any overt experience in public life but patience seems her biggest strength. In the book, Amma: Jayalalithaa's Journey from Movie Star to Political Queen, its author Vaasanthi has sought to answer what it was about Sasikala that made the aloof Jayalalithaa trust her so completely. "Jayalalithaa had longed for a normal life of marriage and children, that she was not destined to have. Now at least there was a friend who heard her woes with sympathy. Who did not question her actions. Who did not argue with her."

Vaasanthi goes on to quote Jaya as saying: "Sasikala never functioned as an extra-constitutional power centre. People must understand that a politician also needs someone to look after his or her home. A male politician has a wife at home and a woman politician has a husband or brother to take care of her personal matters. I have no one. It is only because Sasikala stepped in to take care of my household that I was able to devote my full attention to politics." Patience and loyalty were Panneerselvam's attributes too. Each time Jayalalithaa had to step down as chief minister because of adverse court rulings, he was there to stand by. ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Freedom of the press is vital, but must be used responsibly, says Shashi Tharoor In an old video of Jayalalithaa addressing a rally, doing the rounds since yesterday and released by the news portal The News Minute, she is seen speaking in Tamil about how youngsters who join the party want immediate success and then goes on to showcase Panneerselvam's story. "Joining a party, growing in the party, getting a position of great responsibility is not like mixing Bru instant coffee," Jayalalithaa says in the clip. "I'd like to tell you how O. Panneerselvam grew in the party," she said, and continued to retrace his political journey, starting from 1977 when he joined the AIADMK as a party administrative representative to rising to the chief minister's post in 2001. "He started his political career with small roles. But step by step, he grew in the party. His hard work, his loyalty, his allegiance to the party leadership, these are the reasons for his growth. He grew to become a minister. As I mentioned, he even became the chief minister," Jayalalithaa reminds the audience. But patience and devotion can only take you so far. Sasikala needs to convince the people that she is more than a former companion of Jayalalithaa and her acumen goes beyond replicating the former chief minister's dress sense. She has to prove that she is not another Janaki Ramachandran. Seeking to survive on legacy, the widow of the late M.G. Ramachandran lasted no more than 24 days in power. On the day of the vote of confidence, pandemonium broke out in the Assembly, prompting then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to dismiss Janaki's government and impose President's rule. By the time the central rule was over, the DMK swept the polls and settled the AIADMK succession battle in favour of Jayalalithaa. Old-timers recalled that Janaki did not lack aggression but her praise of MGR's arch-rival Karunanidhi cost her dear. The AIADMK cadres and voters were unable to stomach it. In the unfolding scenario, any sign of OPS's proximity to the DMK offers a window of opportunity and consolidation for Sasikala - the reason she has been saying the revolt is the handiwork of the DMK. Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin today hastened to clarify that the DMK's "support" to Panneerselvam was limited to "people's issues" such as jallikattu and opposition to the common medical entrance test. If control over Jayalalithaa's party machinery, including funds, is Sasikala's potent weapon, Panneerselvam has his task cut out to show himself as a politician. Panneerselvam needs to get either adequate numbers to prove majority in the Assembly or force a split in the AIADMK. Given the ant-defection law provision that stipulates two-thirds of elected MLAs switching sides, the task before Panneerselvam to isolate Sasikala within the AIADMK seems insurmountable in the wake of reports that Sasikala has bussed 132 MLAs to a hotel. As things stand, Panneerselvam's best scenario lies in an adverse court ruling against Sasikala. Such a development may prompt the MLAs to desert her. However, having resigned as chief minister, Panneerselvam's case is now at the mercy of Chennai Raj Bhavan. Any controversial intervention by the Centre has a potential of becoming an issue in the Assembly election battle now underway in Uttar Pradesh. -The Telegraph Calcutta