I always admired Jayalalithaa, from the days of M.G. Ramachandran, the days I have been with her. She was hardworking, popular, dynamic, intelligent and had full control over the party.
She was brought into the party by MGR, with whom she acted in 28 films. She was the most highly paid and talented actor those days. In the 1980s, when MGR began to realise that his health condition was worsening, he wanted someone to assist him. This was the reason he made her chairman of the social welfare board. She toured the state for the noon meal scheme, MGR’s most popular project. When she was made Rajya Sabha member, he knew that she would take the party to new heights in Delhi.
MGR followers like me were attracted by her political acumen, abilities and fluency in English. But her arrogance and autocracy did not allow her to earn the goodwill of party seniors like S.D. Somasundaram. This led to problems, and when MGR understood this, she was sidelined. She never sat back, though. Her fight to get back to the top echelons of the party continued.
In 1984, when the state went for general elections, it was MGR’s wife, Janaki, who called the shots. MGR was hospitalised, and everyone thought the party would ride the sympathy wave. But, as secretary of the party’s youth wing, I felt we needed a charismatic campaigner. In the absence of MGR, I thought, opposition leader M. Karunanidhi’s campaign might pull more crowds. So I wanted Jayalalithaa to tour the state. And yes, she pulled more crowds than MGR.
But Janaki was not interested in this. So she told me not to encourage Jayalalithaa. But I was stubborn. Jayalalithaa toured the state, and thanks to her charisma, we won a thumping majority in 1985.
But, when MGR came back to power after completing his treatment in the US, Jayalalithaa was kept away from decision-making committees. Janaki took control and Jayalalithaa was completely sidelined. But, after his death in 1987, myself, Panruti S. Ramachandran, Navalar Nedunchezhian and 33 other MLAs stood by Jayalalithaa.
The Congress supported us and Jayalalithaa. A year after the president’s rule in the state, Jayalalithaa’s political acumen and her abilities were tested. She did not have money to run the party. She began touring the state again. We mobilised 02.34 crore from all constituencies and her charisma helped her become the opposition leader.
Since then, though, she began to have differences with me. But she took all efforts to build the party. She was a good orator, able administrator and a better choice than Janaki to carry on the MGR legacy.
Thirunavukkarasar is state Congress president. He was with Jayalalithaa when she was assaulted by the DMK on the floor of the assembly in 1989.
As told to Lakshmi Subramanian.
