Search the Internet           Tips

Natarajan throws his hat into the ring

With a vacuum in the AIADMK hierarchy at the top-most slot, one-time party strategist M Natarajan, better known as the near-estranged husband of party supremo J Jayalalitha's live-in confidante Sasikala, has thrown his hat into the ring.

This is the first time that Natarajan has come out in the open after Jayalalitha's disqualification from contesting next year's assembly polls became a possibility, based on the trial court verdict in the TANSI case, and he is likely to make his next move, after reviewing Jayalalitha's reaction to his waving the 'white flag'.

"The DMK Government has wronged Jayalalitha by foisting criminal cases against her," Natarajan said, in a bid to win back her confidence, while addressing a book release function in Tirunelveli.

The function was organised by Natarajan to test Jayalalitha's mood and the AIADMK cadres' acceptance levels, after he had been made a persona non grata by the supremo years back.

"The trial court verdict in the TANSI case is not final," Natarajan claimed. "She can, and will, definitely contest assembly elections next year, after obtaining a discharge from the Supreme Court," he added. Obviously encouraged by the audience mood, if any, he went on to declare, "The state government thinks that it has checkmated the queen, but the king is here, and I will rescue Jayalalitha from her woes."

Natarajan was punning on the 'raja' in his name, which means 'king'.

Natarajan's public appearance and his pronouncements on the AIADMK's woes come on the eve of the postponed meeting of the AIADMK general council. The meeting, which was originally scheduled for a day after the trial court pronounced the TANSI case verdict, will be attended by Sasikala Natarajan for the first time, in her capacity as nominated member of the general council.

Given the long drawn-out legal battles ahead of her, involving the TANSI and other cases, Jayalalitha is under pressure to keep the Sasikala family in good humour. Sasikala and her nephews are mostly co-accused in some cases involving Jayalalitha, and their confessional statements, even at this hour, could make a difference.

Even their court statements could embarrass Jayalalitha. However, as Sasikala has stood by her through thick and thin, Jayalalitha made her a general council member, an hour after their conviction in the TANSI case.

AIADMK sources do not rule out the possibility of Jayalalitha elevating Sasikala to a party position, which will put her confidante only a step below her in the hierarchy. They also see the elevation of Sasikala's less troublesome nephew Bhaskaran, following the recent sidelining of another nephew, T T V Dinakaran, whose display of ambitions after his elevation as Lok Sabha member and convenor of the Jayalalitha Forum, made him suspect in the supremo's eyes, and unacceptable to the second-line leadership.

Jayalalitha has indicated that she does not see any remote challenge to her leadership. Natarajan had sought to project himself as an alternative party leader and chief minister, if Jayalalitha choose national politics when the AIADMK was required to keep the P V Narasimha Rao-led minority Congress Government at the Centre going after the 1991 elections. Not willing to shift to national politics without consolidating her home base, Jayalalitha still would have none of Natarajan's ambitions.

Every time he made a move to get noticed by the party and cadres, Jayalalitha rebuffed him, issuing dictates to the cadres to stay away from him.

A strategist that he is, Natarajan still requires a party to manipulate, unlike Jayalalitha, whose charisma could still win or lose elections.

Natarajan is still the only one of his kind from the Sasikala family who is not involved in any major criminal case involving his imprisonment beyond two years rigorous imprisonment and consequent disqualification. But it may be difficult even for Jayalalitha to make Natarajan acceptable to the party cadres, after having weaned them away over the past decade.

Natarajan's hidden hand was visible in the Bahujan Samaj Party withdrawing support to the Vajpayee Government in the crucial confidence vote in the Lok Sabha last year, causing fresh elections. He is known to have contacts with national-level political leaders like BSP supremo Kanshi Ram and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, having sought their help to become a Rajya Sabha member, when Jayalalitha snubbed him.

For Natarajan to gain acceptance, he has to be proposed by Jayalalitha. Even then, her writ could run only in the AIADMK. If Natarajan makes his own move, he will have to wait for the post-poll scenario, as he is not a charismatic leader, but is still a manipulative tactician, who would need legislators to play around with. A situation like which he had created in 1991 by getting many nominees elected as AIADMK legislators, but got derailed by Jayalalitha once she started facing one political problem after another, what with Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy taking her head-on.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report