At Jaya’s swearing-in, Stalin causes a flutter

Chennai: Long before noon, when chief minister J Jayalalithaa was to take her oath for the sixth time, the centenary hall at the University of Madras was buzzing — at one end senior bureaucrats were overseeing the arrangements and at another ministers-in-waiting were practicing their oaths.
TN government advisor Sheela Balakrishnan and chief secretary K Gnanadesikan kept a close eye on preparations and staff began checking the audio system as the who's who of the state began filing in and filling the seats.
Among the prominent personalities in attendance were Tamil actor M N Rajam and her singer-husband A L Raghavan and playback singers P Susheela and Vani Jairam. The film fraternity was represented by South Indian Film Artistes' Association president Nasser and general secretary Vishal. SPIC chairman A C Muthiah and TAFE chairman Mallika Srinivasan were in the front row along with Apollo Hospitals' Preetha Reddy and Sri Ramachandra University chancellor V R Venkatachalam. Notably absent was Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden neighbour, actor Rajinikanth, who attended the ceremony last year.
Soon after, Prabha, niece of Jayalalithaa's aide Sasikalaa Natarajan, and her husband, Sivakumar, took their seats in the front row, and Sasikalaa joined them later.
Breaking the tradition of keeping away from the swearing-in ceremonies of rivals, a handful of DMK MLAs, led by M K Stalin, walked in at 11.30am. The DMK MLAs remained seated throughout the ceremony, even when the rest of the gathering rose to welcome Jayalalithaa. It was the national anthem at the end that got them on their feet.
Clad in a green sari, Jayalalithaa arrived at 11.57am along with Sasikalaa to a crash of drumbeats. The AIADMK leader greeted people and presented bouquet to Governor K Rosaiah, who came in minutes later. Rosaiah administered the oath of office and secrecy to Jayalalithaa as some in the crowd shouted ‘Puratchi Thalaivi Vazhga' (long live revolutionary leader). Jayalalithaa took the oath in Tamil and in the name of God. As the applause continued, she signed the oath of office with a green pen.
Her ministers followed, taking their oaths for the second consecutive term, in chorus. Sankarankoil MLA V M Rajalakshmi, 30, sworn in as minister for adi dravidar and tribal welfare, is the youngest in Jayalalithaa's cabinet.
Union minister for urban development Venkaiah Naidu represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Iran. Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises Pon Radhakrishnan was also present. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the venue were not disappointed as huge LED screens beamed the ceremony live.
Mallika Srinivasan said Jayalalithaa's victory was an indication that the people of the state "recognised her contribution to development", while industrialist Karumuttu T Kannan said he hoped the CM would implement new schemes to improve industrialisation and investment in south TN.
Singer Vani Jairam, whose association with Jayalalithaa goes back 32 years, said she "prays for her long life and good health". Octogenarian doctors V Shanta and Mathangi Ramakrishnan, seated in the front row, were delighted to witness the event. "She has always offered a lot of support and helped remove obstructions for medical research," said Dr Shanta.
As the day progressed, wishes began pouring in from across the country, including from vice-president Hamid Ansari, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister for minorities welfare Najma Heptullah, and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akilesh Yadav. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Jayalalithaa in a tweet.
Karnataka BJP president and Lok Sabha member B S Yeddyurappa wished her a successful term and congratulated her for "achieving splendid success in Tamil Nadu's Assembly elections".
(with inputs from Meera Vankipuram)