CHENNAI: Political activity is all set to peak on the 73rd birth anniversary of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa on February 24, with the AIADMK and AMMK planning to hold public meetings to demonstrate their capability to mobilise crowd and prove their loyalty to the late leader. While chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will address a public meeting in T T V Dhinakaran’s turf RK Nagar assembly constituency, TTV will address a meeting in Tambaram and deputy CM O Panneerselvam in Bodinayakkanur, his home constituency.
Plans are afoot to reopen Jayalalithaa’s mausoleum on her birth anniversary with a museum and knowledge park on either side. The AIADMK will hold meetings in all TN assembly constituencies for four days — February 24, 28, March 1 and 3, and in Puducherry and Karnataka. “Amma steered the AIADMK for three decades and established this government. We carry forward her legacy and celebrate our leader’s memories on her birth anniversary. We are working towards a third consecutive victory in assembly polls,” law minister C Ve Shanmugam said, ruling out possibility of any truck between the AIADMK and the AMMK.
Dhinakaran had organised public meetings on Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary in Tirunelveli, Madurai, Trichy and RK Nagar in the past and chose Tambaram this year. Sources say fresh trouble is brewing for the AMMK leader in RK Nagar since cadres of the ruling party and the AMMK had pelted stones at each other during his visit to the constituency to distribute welfare aid on more than one occasion. “We are true cadres of the AIADMK. Only the merger of the AIADMK and AMMK will prevent the DMK from capturing power. TTV will not allow the votes to split,” said S Muthiah, a disqualified MLA who had sided with Dhinakaran.
The AIADMK had filed a complaint with the director general of police against outsiders using party flag after V K Sasikala used an AIADMK flag on her vehicle upon release from Bengaluru prison. The state government also took a controversial decision to close Jayalalithaa’s mausoleum ahead of her release. Sources say Sasikala will pay floral tributes to the portrait of Jayalalithaa at her T Nagar residence on February 24. “She is yet to take a call on speaking to partymen though supporters are flooding with requests to meet her. She is keeping a close watch on the political developments, but has been avoiding visitors,” a close aide said. She is expected to visit the mausoleum of Jayalalithaa once it is opened for public, the source said.