The political uncertainty that has engulfed the State mirrors the past when matinee idol and party’s founder M.G. Ramachandran died 29 years ago.
After staking claim to form the government, MGR’s wife Janaki Ramachandran, who was backed by 97 MLAs, was sworn in on January 7, 1988, as the 10th and first woman Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu along with seven other ministers. Jailed AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala’s words also matched those of Janaki who claimed that she had no intention of taking over any post in the party or government, but only did so only to protect the party and the government.
The confidence vote on January 28 was marred by violence as policemen ‘wearing steel-helmets’ entered the Assembly and lathi-charged the members for the first time. After disqualifying the 33 AIADMK MLAs backing Jayalalithaa, the then Speaker P.H. Pandian also announced that five Congress (I) members had conveyed their decision over telephone to resign from the House. Hence, he declared that the Janaki faction had passed the floor test.
Despite “surviving” the confidence vote, the 23-day-old Janaki Ramachandran ministry was dismissed, paving the way for President’s Rule.
