Tamilnadu Battle for Jaya’s Legacy— Will Vidyasagar be Another Ramlal ?
Hyderabad, Feb.8: Tamilnadu is once again engulfed in a battle for the political legacy after nearly three decades. While a similar political war raged after the death of then Chief Minister and founder President of AIADMK M. G. Ramachandran in 1988, a similar drama is unfolding now in 2017 after the death of Chief Minister Jayalalitha.
In 1988, it was a battle for political legacy of MGR after his death between his wife Janaki Ramachandran's and his political protégé N. Jayalalitha. Now a war is raging for the political legacy of Amma (Jayalalithaa) between her close aide Sasikala Natrajan, now come to be known as Chinnamma, and her unstinted loyalist O. Pannerselvan.
Incidentally in this political drama that is being witnessed in Tamilnadu, the role of acting Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao is going to seal the fate of either the incumbent Chief Minister Pannerselvan or the Chief Minister aspirant Sasikala.
Thus Governor Vidyasagar Rao has a crucial role to play in resolving the political crisis that is brewing in Tamilnadu. However at the same time the big question is whether Vidyasagar Rao too would play the role of then Governor of United Andhra Pradesh Ramlal who earned the dubious distinction of “murdering democracy” by unseating TDP Supremo N. T. Rama Rao and appointing Nadendla Bhaskar Rao as Chief Minister in 1984 though the former had the support of majority of legislators.
As a matter of fact, almost all the Opposition leaders including Atal Behari Vajpayee, H.N. Bahuguna, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Pawar and leaders of both the Left parties have extended their full support to NTR and accused Governor Ramlal of “ murdering democracy”.
It is pertinent to recall here that Nara Chandrababu Naidu, son-in-law of NTR who was only holding the post of A P Karshak Parishat Chief, played an important role in keeping the flock of TDP MLAs together by confining them in a hotel and later took them on holiday to Nandagiri Hills in Karnataka State. Later all the TDP MLAs were taken to New Delhi and paraded before the then President of India Giani Zail Singh to prove that NTR had sufficient majority of MLAs and still he was unseated by Governor Ramlal to facilitate Nadendla Bhaskar Rao to become Chief Minister.
Surprisingly, then Union Home Minister P V. Narasimha Rao endorsed the action of Governor Ramlal by stating that under Article 164 (1) of the Constitution “ the ministers hold office during the pleasure of the Governor”. However, after a nationwide outcry about the role played by Governor Ramlal, he was shunted out, and NTR has reinstated as Chief Minister again.
After nearly three decades a similar drama is unfolding in Tamilnadu for political legacy, and all eyes are now focused on the role to be played by Governor Vidyasagar Rao. Will the BJP leaders at the Centre, who are now being accused of orchestrating Pannerselvan’s revolt against Sasikala, distance themselves from influencing the Governor in the ongoing drama like Vajpayee who had condemned then Governor Ramlal for ousting NTR.
Interestingly when MGR passed away after a prolonged illness on December 24, 1987, war broke out between his wife Janaki and his protégé Jayalalitha for taking over the political legacy of MGR. Though Janaki won the battle initially and took the reins of the Chief Mi9nister, her tenure lasted only for 24 days. Jayalalitha who split MGR’s party later merged it in AIADMK and became the Chief Minister to ultimately become the undisputed political queen of the Tamil State.
Now after her death once again the battle for the Chief Minister’s gaddhi has begun between the incumbent CM Paneerselvan and CM aspirant Sasikala. What is intriguing is that while in 1988 Tamilnadu witnessed a battle for MGR’s legacy, now in 2017 the battle seems to be mainly for the CMs post in the name of Amma’s legacy.