The verdict has come a dampener for the rival DMK and non-Dravedian parties, which were hoping to make a comeback next year's assembly elections in the wake of Jayalalithaa's inability to contest and leader her party.
Forty-eight member of Parliaments of AIADMK–37 Lok Sabha and 11 Rajya Sabha had assembled in the chamber of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha Thambi Durrai on Monday morning, watching TV channels with a bated breath to know the fate of their leader J Jayalalithaa.
The long faces soon ruptured into elation, as soon as ticker on TV channels announced that Karnataka high court has acquitted the Tamil leader in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case.
Soon after hugging sessions, a competition began to get in sweets inside the Parliament building, a race to show affection towards their leader, who holds a tight control over the party. Plenty of sweets arrived, which were distributed to fellow MPs, media persons and Parliament staff, to celebrate acquittal of Jayalalithaa.
The verdict has come a dampener for the rival DMK and non-Dravedian parties, which were hoping to make a comeback next year's assembly elections in the wake of Jayalalithaa's inability to contest and leader her party.
Both the national parties the Congress and the BJP are already racing to draw attention of the AIADMK supremo, who has third largest chunk of MPs in Lok Sabha. Further, with her 11 MPs in Rajya Sabha, she is crucial link to BJP plans to sail their reform agenda. But since Congress-led Karnataka government will have to decide on appealing the verdict in the Supreme Court, analysts here said, its leaders would play levers to seek a leverage with the AIADMK to seek support on issues to embarrass the BJP at Centre.
Legal sources here said, Karnataka government, DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan and the BJP leader Subramanyam Swamy as complainants can appeal against the verdict in the apex court.
Knowing her party's strength, she has been directing her MPs to vociferously raise state interest, including the Sri Lankan fishermen issue, transferring Katchchativu island to Sri Lanka, and river water disputes with neighbouring Karnataka (Cauvery) and Kerala (Mullaperiyar). She will now go more hammer and tongs, to show she is on the right side of the Tamil interests rather the DMK.
Election Commission sources said Jayalalithaa will have to contest the election again to become a member of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, in case her party chooses not to recommend dissolution of the House. At the time of contesting election in 2011, she had nine cases pending against her. Besides the ones related to wealth and income tax, defamation and election petition (later cleared), the two important cases were the Rs66.65 crore disproportionate assets case and the 'gifts case' — which charged her of accepting demand drafts worth Rs 1.48 crore on her birthday in 1992.
Now with Monday's verdict clearing her path to return as chief minister for the fourth time, the party leaders said there could be dissolution of state assembly to pave way for early elections, a year before the schedule. But the leader hasted to add, that she was the sole arbitrator in the party and knows to keep cards close to her chest. Barring her own personal preferences, and the fact that it's the inauspicious Ashtami-Navami days under the Hindu calendar on Monday and Tuesday, Jaya may be back as chief minister any time now.
"There is no question of her replacement," said a senior party leader, also an MP. It is believed that the party treasurer, O Pannerselvam will be quitting as chief minister a second time.
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