Expressing shock over the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said she had created political history in contemporary Tamil Nadu politics.
In a message, he expressed his regrets over the demise of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa late on Monday night in Chennai and said her followers and admirers regarded her as the ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’, a revolutionary leader in Tamil Nadu politics. “In her passing, the State of Tamil Nadu was left with a great void that was difficult to fill,” he said.
Mr. Rao hailed Jayalalitha as the political heir of the great M.G Ramachandran. “It was both challenging and inspirational. At a time when women entering politics was rare, Jayalalithaa created political history in contemporary Tamil Nadu politics, by becoming AIADMK’s General Secretary and later on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,” he recalled.
Since she was nominated to Rajya Sabha Jayalalithaa’s political journey was undertaken in a phased manner. He described her as a unique person in TN politics to have won the State Legislative Assembly elections consecutively for two terms and formed the Government. thus setting a record of sorts. While excelling as an actor, she had also proved herself in the arena of politics too, which is a record, Mr. Rao said.
It was indeed a great loss to the people of Tamil Nadu and a void in political scenario of Tamil Nadu, said Mr. Rao. He expressed his heartfelt sympathies and conveyed his condolences to the members of the bereaved family and people of Tamil Nadu. He deputed Home Minister Naini Narsimha Reddy and Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao to represent Telangana State at the funeral of Jayalalithaa.
Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, E.S.L. Narasimhan expressed his grief and proferred his condolences to the Government and people of Tamil Nadu. In a message, he said Jayalalithaa as a great visionary and an able administrator who excelled in multifarious fields. “She was loved and admired by millions in the State and her death has created a void in the nation and Tamil Nadu in particular.
In a message, former Governor of Tamil Nadu, P.S. Ramamohana Rao conveyed his grief and condolences to the Government and people of Tamil Nadu and the dear and near ones of Jayalalithaa. She was a rare phenomenon in the political history of India, who rose to the dizzy heights of leadership against formidable odds, distinguishing herself in whatever she did ,be it in academics, films and politics, Mr. Ramamohana Rao said.
Union Labour Minister B. Dattatreya too expressed his regrets at the loss of a person whom he termed a political star who made her mark. He made a specific mention of how Jayalalithaa had brought in a law giving 26 weeks maternity leave to women workers, even in the unorganised sector.
