Chennai:
'A Power Crisis' may mean more than just electricity shortage in politically volatile terrain! And there hangs a tale of two decisions in Tamil Nadu today. On the one hand, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is pitching for help from the Centre to solve the critical power scenario in the State. And on the other, she is firm on ensuring that there no parallel power centres during her regime. On an auspicious weekend, a fervent plea was shot off to the Prime Minister to allocate the entire 2000 MW of power to Tamil Nadu from the Koodankulam nuclear plant. And then an order revoking the expulsion of her friend Ms Sasikala was signed.
Ms Sasikala is back in Jayalalithaa's camp, a little over a hundred days after she, along with her entire family was shown the door by the AIADMK, for political overreach and interference in administration.
Barring the axe, Ms Sasikala didn't quite feel the heat, post the expulsion. Unlike the coterie -of relatives, who were slapped with cases, ranging from land grab to other offences. Ms Sasikala had lied low, even supporting Ms Jayalalithaa in her deposition before the Bengaluru Court in the wealth case, hoping to play prodigal sister soon.
The first sign of a patch up surfaced on Wednesday, with an announcement that she was severing ties with her relatives who she said had betrayed her and plotted behind her back. The explanation was telecast on Jaya TV, leaving many to wonder if that statement was vetted by Ms Jayalalithaa herself.
The revoking of Ms Sasikala's expulsion was as clinical as the initial sacking. A statement from the AIADMK Headquarters merely said that Ms Sasikala's explanation has been accepted. But her relatives continue to be out of favour, prompting the DMK to ridicule the move. Party MP and Spokesperson T.K.S Elangovan sarcastically expressed sympathy for the media "which had reported that Sasikala would not be taken back."
This is Ms Sasikala's second return to Poes Garden; the first was after the AIADMK's defeat in 1996.
Ms Jayalalithaa's supporters may view Ms Sasikala's return to the AIADMK fold as "a magnanimous act" by their Amma. But the challenge for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will be to ensure that the Line of Control between household and government, or party, is firmly drawn. And also that Ms Sasikala's disowned relatives don't try to sneak in through the backdoor in the future.