New era dawns in Tamil Nadu: With Jayalalithaa gone, her long-time confidante Sasikala takes guard

CHENNAI: As the sun set over the Marina on Tuesday and late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s body was laid to rest, it was not just the teary farewell the state witnessed but also the rise of a possible successor.

Sasikala Natarajan, who has been Jayalalithaa’s constant companion for decades, was by her leader’s side as the last rites were performed, watched by millions across the state. The message was very clear: Jayalalithaa’s political legacy was being assumed by Sasikala.

During the final hours of Jayalalithaa on Monday and after her demise late that night, AIADMK stood united silently. The 1.30 am swearing-in of O Panneerselvam as the new chief minister on Tuesday took place without a single glitch even as AIADMK’s political rivals were predicting possible dissent and defection from the party’s ranks in reaction to Jayalalithaa’s absence.

A source familiar with developments in the AIADMK camp said that Sasikala, 59, assisted by her family members and the well-oiled top bureaucracy which is very familiar with Jayalalithaa’s style of functioning, ensured that all plans to maintain party unity and law and order post announcement of Jayalalithaa’s demise, and the ceremonial farewell were executed with clockwork precision.



However, as the crowds started pouring into the Rajaji Hall grounds on Tuesday morning to have a final glimpse of the late AIADMK supremo, they witnessed scenes that were not familiar to the ways of the party. Sasikala and her family members, including her husband M Natarajan, who Jayalalithaa had not been very kind to in the past, were now seen on the raised platform on which the late chief minister’s body was placed for viewing.

Some of Jayalalithaa’s ardent fans, supporters and cadres who were thronging in thousands were not taking kindly to Sasikala.

Fifty-year-old N Natarajan, from Cuddalore, waiting in the crowd to see his Amma for one last time, said: “Sasikala did not allow Amma's relatives in to see her. She (Sasikala) was with her for two months, did not allow anyone inside to see Amma during that time.”

“She could have at least shown us Amma’s face when she was still alive,” he added. The party line, however, is that there seemed to be no such negative sentiment among cadres or supporters because the AIADMK realises that everything that is happening now is being carried out by people chosen by their leader.

“Our leader herself has said in the past that it was her decision to have Sasikala stay with her and take care of her,” said AIADMK headquarters speaker Avadi Kumar.

He added that in case it was the leader’s instructions for Sasikala to take care of party’s political functioning in her (Jayalalithaa’s) absence, then that is what will be done.

However, experts say that the fact that Sasikala took care of Jayalalithaa may only give the former some space within the party, but that alone will not be enough. “Sasikala has to decide who is going to be the one face from her family that can be projected and the others will have to remain behind the scenes.

Tamil Nadu’s public mood and Tamil intelligentsia will decide whether or not that face is acceptable even if she chooses to project herself,” said political analyst Perumal Mani.

“She does have space and also with the next big challenge in terms of elections coming only in 2019, she does have the time to emerge (the party’ s next face). But she will have to do it without disturbing the existing structure of the party set up by Jayalalithaa.”