Parliament records show that AIADMK members’ attendance has fallen sharply since their leader Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation late last year.
An analysis of the attendance data of the last three sessions of the Lok Sabha and four of the Rajya Sabha by The Hindu shows that the AIADMK’s Lok Sabha members have an average attendance of 80.05% across the 11 sessions of the 16th Lok Sabha. However, in the two sessions that correspond with and after Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and death, they recorded 49.94% attendance. The party’s Lok Sabha members recorded 96.94% attendnace in the session preceding the former Chief Minister’s September 22, 2016 hospitalisation. Jayalalithaa was declared dead on the night of December 5, 2016.
The AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha members have an average attendance of 78.38%. Across the three sessions that correspond with Jayalalithaa’s absence, their attendance dropped to 52.04%. In the session that preceded her absence, they recorded 95% attendance.
All data was pulled from the websites of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on April 7. The Lok Sabha data does not include M. Thambi Durai who, as Deputy Speaker, does not have to sign the attendance register. The Rajya Sabha analysis includes N. Gokulakrishnan, AIADMK MP from Puducherry: even his attendance dropped from 95% in the session preceding Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation to 45.17% across the three after.
As a result of their recent slip-up in attendance, the AIADMK’s 36 Lok Sabha members (O. Panneerselvam and Sasikala factions) have fallen behind their counterparts. While the average attendance for the 16th Lok Sabha now stands at 80.37%, the AIADMK members have an 80.05% record. While other Lok Sabha members recorded an attendance of 77.66% across the two sessions that corresponded with Jayalalithaa’s absence, the AIADMK members clocked only 49.94%.
Ongoing session
In the ongoing session of the Rajya Sabha, the AIADMK’s 13 members (both factions) have only 38.76% attendance. The six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu, excluding those of the AIADMK, have 78.7% attendance; they recorded 93.75% in the previous session.
All three AIADMK MPs this newspaper talked to had attended the House on Wednesday, after which the Parliament adjourned sine die. They cited the vigil during Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and the campaign for the now-rescinded R.K. Nagar by-election as the reasons for the shortfall in attendance.
“During Amma’s hospitalisation, we were always with her. After her demise, we were very much shocked and did not attend the last days of the Winter Session,” said Vijila Sathyananth, AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha Whip.
“Attendance dropped this session due to the campaign for the R.K. Nagar elections. We — even those from the other faction — are all back in Delhi and have attended the session the past two days. The attendance today was 75%,” said LS member P. Venugopal, AIADMK’s Parliamentary party leader.
Tiruvannamalai MP R. Vanaroja said she had been busy in R.K. Nagar but had managed to attend during April 10-12.
Ms. Sathyananth said that Jayalalithaa had been the reason for their excellent attendance record: “Frankly speaking, all MPs used to be inside the House because we knew Amma would be watching. She used to watch the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha channels on her way to the Secretariat and in between work. I know many of us attended because of this reason, to be very honest. Amma was always watching. Even now, Amma is watching, so we will continue to attend.”
