Jayalalitha back as Tamil Nadu CM

The former film star and leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), barred from contesting the recent assembly elections in Tamil Nadu because of corruption, was sworn in as chief minister yesterday putting at rest all speculation on whether she would be allowed to hold political office.

Things moved with lightning speed yesterday morning, culminating in the swearing in by Governor Fatima Beevi of Jayaram Jayalalitha as chief minister and of five other ministers amid cheers from Jayalalitha's party followers, who had packed into the central hall of the governor's office.

Jayalalitha, 53, was officially invited to form the government after her party, the AIADMK won a sweeping victory in last Thursday's provincial elections, bagging 80 per cent of the state assembly seats.

Her followers queued up outside the road to the governor's palace hailing her victory and waving party flags. However, whether Jayalalitha can remain as head of the state is still unclear because of her conviction on corruption charges.

"There is no law against her becoming the chief minister. Where does it say that a person convicted can not become a chief minister," T.M. Selvaganapathy, a member of Parliament and senior AIADMK leader said.

"The only condition is that madam (Jayalalitha) must get elected in six months," he added. "We are confident that she will meet this requirement as she is innocent and all these corruption cases were foisted out of political vendetta by the previous government."

Speaking to the press later in the evening Jayalalitha declared that unlike her predecessor she would not have any vendetta against her opponents, making it very clear that she would steer clear of controversy.

Exuding confidence and accompanied by companion Sasikala, she swore to head a corruption free government. In reply to a question whether she would look into misdeeds by the former rulers, she said that it was not her intention to carry out a vendetta, but if misdeeds came to her notice she would look into them.

Asked whether she would do anything about her electoral disqualification, she said she had won the elections with the support of the people and hoped to overcome all hurdles with their support.

She did not think that there would be any political polarisation consequent on the elections. The newly elected AIADMK MLAs met earlier yesterday at party headquarters at Lloyds Road.

Jayalalitha reached the office soon after and was told by her MLAs that they had decided to elect her as leader of the Legislature Party. Jayalalitha accepted the honour and drove straight to Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Governor Fatima Beevi and handed over a letter intimating the decision of her MLAs to her.

The governor, a former Supreme Court judge, who apparently had weighed the constitutional issues involved, according to a Raj Bhavan press release, "invited her to form the ministry at the earliest and asked her to send the list of persons to be appointed as ministers with their portfolios".

This put at rest speculation of a constitutional crisis if Jayalalitha, who is disqualified from contesting elections, was not acceptable to the governor.