For Jaya’s men, she’s already Prime Minister

There was a race to overdo one another in pleasing the leader. But almost all of them took pleasure in lampooning senior BJP leaders and some of its allies while praising the virtues of “Indhiyavin ethirkaala nambikkai natchathiram (the trusted future star of India)”. The focus of all the praise sat on the dais, her smile growing wider by the minute.

One AIADMK speaker came up with this “example”. An old lady watching television spots Jayalalitha sitting regally, flanked by a “humble” Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Union Defence Minister George Fernandes, “sitting crouched”. Confused, she demands, “When did she become the Prime Minister?” Another speakerthought the answer was simple. “There are two Prime Ministers,” he said, “One in New Delhi and another one in Poes Garden in Chennai.”

Yet another leader said, “When Amma went to Delhi, we decided to go ahead and put up posters and banners. The cops and general public told us that they never saw such a welcome, even for Prime Minister Vajpayee.” A women’s wing functionary remarked, “The country’s capital has bowed down to you.”

In fact, speaker after speaker narrated with pride the “achievements” by their leader during her five-day Delhi trip and drew attention to the “accolades” she had received from “national and international leaders”. Party treasurer and former minister Sedapatti R Muthiah, overcome with emotion while describing Jayalalitha’s Delhi sojourn, declared, “She is not only our leader but also that of the nation — Naatin Thalaivi”.

The party’s Pondicherry unit secretary, Natarajan, could not contain himself now, bursting out, “She is the Jhansi Rani of the southwho has stormed the north.”

His counterparts from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka seemed equally overwhelmed. Karnataka state secretary K R Krishnaraj sent up a fervent prayer, pleading, “God let us live until we make Puratchi Thalaivi the Prime Minister.” Amidst thundering applause, Maharashtra State secretary K S Somasundaram declared, “Don’t be the Chief Minister here, you are fit to be the Prime Minister of the country.”

Even a resolution passed by the general council to felicitate newly elected office-bearers said, “The general council is overwhelmed to know that the future of India’s politics is in the hands of the Puratchi Thalaivi.”

Jayalalitha, of course, didn’t need more encouragement. Addressing the gathering later, she thundered, “How can they question our right to criticise the BJP on the Bhagwat issue. Ours is not just a regional party. Ours is a national party with branches all over the country — Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Andamans, Pondicherry,Maharashtra and even Delhi.”