AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa Jayaram arrives for her swearing-in ceremony as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in Chennai yesterday.
Agencies/Chennai
One of India’s most powerful politicians, Jayalalithaa Jayaram, was sworn in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time following a nine-month break, after a court overturned her conviction in a corruption case.
Jayalalithaa was forced to resign as chief minister last year after being convicted of holding Rs660mn ($8.3mn) in unaccounted cash and property. But the Karnataka High Court acquitted her earlier this month.
Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah administered the oath in Tamil to Jayalalithaa and 28 ministers at the Madras University Centenary Auditorium. Defying tradition, ministers took the oath in chorus in two batches of 14 each in a process that lasted a little less than 30 minutes.
A bevy of film stars including Rajinikanth and prominent industrialists attended the ceremony, in which a beaming Jayalalithaa, 67, was clad in a simple green chiffon saree.
Jayalalithaa dropped M S M Anand and P Chendur Pandian who were ministers in the outgoing O Panneerselvam cabinet from her team. She retained all other ministers without changing their portfolios.
Jayalalithaa would, among others, look after the home and general administration departments.
Panneerselvam will continue to hold the finance and public works portfolios.
The swearing-in created an avoidable controversy after a short version of the national anthem was played on the occasion.
Before the ceremony, it was announced that the shorter version of the national anthem would be played followed by Tamizh Thai Vazhthu (Invocation to Mother Tamil).
To the surprise of many, just two lines of the national anthem - the first line and the last - were played and it was followed by Tamizh Thai Vazhthu.
After all the ministers were sworn in, the full version of the national anthem was played.
Delighted members of her All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party hailed the event as a turning point for the state.
“It is an historic moment,” said AIADMK spokesman Rabi Bernard. “All through her life she has overcome difficulties through her hard work, perseverance and faith in God.”
In the last few months, when she was out of power, political uncertainty gripped the state, affecting developments such as the inauguration of Chennai’s much-delayed Metro Rail project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to boost his Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, which has been dominated by film stars and scriptwriters for four decades, using cinema to promote Tamil culture and language and win support.
Outside the venue, supporters and fans of Jayalalithaa celebrated. “Good times are in store for Tamil Nadu again,” 70-year-old Y S Velusamy sang as he banged away on a native drum.
“Our Amma is back and she has won justice,” he sang in a reference to a 19-year-old corruption case in which Jayalalithaa was acquitted on appeal.
The judgment has been criticised with media reporting serious flaws in calculations of Jayalalithaa’s wealth leading to her acquittal.
As well as a cult-like following in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa wields national influence, with AIADMK holding the third largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.
The party also has 11 lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha or upper house and its support could be crucial for Modi’s federal government for passing key bills.
She has endeared herself to millions of voters by giving away laptops and food processors. The state assembly elections are due in less than a year.
