To those who remember Jayalalithaa’s first term, the woman who took over the position of Chief Minister in 2011 – her third term in power – has been almost unrecognisable. Within months of assuming power, Jayalalithaa had streamlined the power situation in the state. Over the next couple of years, she introduced a spate of welfare schemes.
It appeared the state, whose votes have been chiefly driven by anti-incumbency for several elections, finally had some semblance of political stability. The government’s schemes for the poor, including the hugely successful Amma Canteens, have been admired by delegates from across the country and, in fact, the world. Jayalalithaa even brought the auto-rickshaws, which have been robbing the public blind for decades, under control.
But now, Jayalalithaa’s excesses during her first term in power have caught up with her, and there are signs of a looming political crisis in Tamil Nadu.
Unless her conviction is quickly suspended and overturned by the higher courts, it appears Jayalalithaa’s future in politics is under high risk.
Her attempted manoeuvres of the judicial system have all backfired so far. Chances are that the quantum of punishment would not have been so harsh if Jayalalithaa had not asked that questions under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure be sent to her in the form of a questionnaire, rather than appear in court in person. This is only done under exceptional circumstances, and was one of the reasons the Supreme Court slammed the manner in which a trial court had handled the case in Madras, and shifted it to Bangalore.
Special judge John Michael D’Cunha had originally fixed September 20 for the announcement of the verdict, which was pushed by a week after Jayalalithaa moved a last-minute petition regarding her security in court. If she had refrained, chances are that Jayalalithaa would have been able to file a bail petition and appeal in the Karnataka High Court, ahead of the Dussehra vacation.
Jayalalithaa has been arrested in power earlier – in 2001 – and the man who was chosen to head her government in her absence was Paneerselvam, who has taken on the mantle again this week.
However, her conviction was overturned in months at that time, and she was in Madras.
src:sify.com