Jayalalithaa Returns As Tamil Nadu CM, Ilayaraja, Rajinikanth Attend Swearing In

By siliconindia | Monday, 25 May 2015, 03:53 Hrs

Jammers and other gadgets were put to optimal use as Jayalalithaa is covered under 'Z' plus security status.

Commandos and plainclothes men did the job of providing security cover and crowd management.

AIADMK workers all over the state burst crackers, distributed sweets and organised playing of traditional music to celebrate the return of Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister.

Partymen in several towns and cities of the state were also seen distributing buttermilk, among other items, to people in public places, bus-stands and railway stations.

On the political front, in the wake of Jayalalithaa's return to power, a wary opposition may have to look at options of fighting next year's polls with allies to challenge the now looking formidable AIADMK.

The AIADMK chief had in 2011 proved calculations of DMK's likely return to power wrong when she led her party to a
fantastic win by forming a rainbow coalition comprising DMDK and Left parties. The M Karunanidhi-led DMK could only muster 23 MLAs at the hustings.

Since then the Jayalalithaa juggernaut has been rolling on unchallenged in Tamil Nadu.

AIADMK has not only won all bypolls and local body elections, but stamped its superiority in last year's Lok Sabha polls as well.

Jayalalithaa-steered AIADMK won 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state, giving ample indications of her popularity amid a perceived Narendra Modi wave in Tamil Nadu.

With the opposition not yet geared up, DMK chief Karunanidhi had indicated that only by cobbling an alliance could they confidently take on AIADMK in the 2016 assembly polls.

BJP is also keeping its options open as can been seen from its limited representation during Jayalalithaa's swearing-in ceremony.

Source: PTI