HT THIS DAY: January 2, 1988 — Jayalalitha made Gen Secy; parallel meetings called

Six office-bearers of the AIADMK today challenged the election of Ms Jayalalitha as general secretary of the party. In a joint statement here today, they said the election was against the rules of the party laid down by Mr Ramachandran, the founder of the party

MADRAS - Ms Javalahtha was today chosen as the general secretary of the AIADMK by its 14 district secretaries in the presence of State interim Chief Minister V. R. Nedunchezhian and she swiftly convened the party’s general council and Legislature Party meetings tomorrow morning.

A screengrab of the Hindustan Times on January 2, 1988.

Local Administration Minister R. M. Veerappan who is working tirelessly to enlist maximum support for Mrs Janaki Ramachandran at the Legislature Party meeting convened by Mr S. Raghavanandam tomorrow, told this correspondent this afternoon that his supporters numbered over 100.

Asked to comment on the parallel meetings, the party’s general council and legislature Party, by the group belonging to Mr Nedunchezhian and the election of Ms Jayalalitha as party general secretary, Mr Vecrappan stated that he concurred with the opinion of Mr Raghavanandam and party treasurer Madhavan who disclaimed them as improper.

Six office-bearers of the AIADMK today challenged the election of Ms Jayalalitha as general secretary of the party. In a joint statement here today, they said the election was against the rules of the party laid down by Mr Ramachandran, the founder of the party.

Meanwhile, Governor Sundar Lal Khurana has told Mr Nedunchezhian that his party should elect a new leader of the House by Sunday. Mr Khurana has not agreed to the plea of Mr Nedunchezhian to allow his Ministry to continue till the Assembly met and proved the majority. He also told Mr Veerappan, who also met him, that he could not accept his group’s right to form the Government.

Mrs Janaki Ramachandran called on the Governor this evening at 7.00 at Raj Bhavan.

Mrs Janaki Ramachandran is understood to have staked her claim for the leadership of the Legislature Party and it is understood that she would be again calling on the Governor tomorrow morning at 11.30 with a list of her party MLAs who are supporting her.

The AIADMK Legislature Party convened by Mr S. Raghavanandam will be meeting tomorrow at the Government Estate to elect Mrs Janaki Ramachandran as the leader of the Legislature Party.

Earlier, 14 AIADMK district secretaries belonging to the Nedunchezhian group appealed to Ms Jayalatitha to take over the party mantle of the late Mr Ramachandran and soon after accepting their request, she also convened the general council and the Legialsture Party meetings tomorrow morning for ratification of the decisions.

Among those present on the occasion, besides the district secretaries, included Ministers S. Ramachandran. K. Rajaram, S. Thirunavukkarasu, K. K. S. S. R. Ramachandran and former Ministers C. Aranganayagam and S. D. Somasundaram and party MP Salem Kannan.

Ms Jayalalitha who promised to make some disclosures earlier stated that at least thrice since 1984 she had handed over her letters to Mr Ramachandran offering to resign her Rajya Sabba membership and her position as party propaganda secretary as she wanted to quit political life being unable to bear the humiliation within the party.

She said Mr Ramachandran had returned the resignation letters twice and persuaded her to continue. With no change in the situation, she had handed over for the third time her resignation letter to Mr Ramachandran early in 1987 stating that she could no longer stand the humiliation by senior party functionaries. It was then that MGR had made her take an oath that she would never think of quitting politics even after his lifetime.

Ms Jayalalitha had even sought MGR’s help in 1984 to get settled outside the State but he had refused to oblige her.

Ms Jayalalitha said that early in June she had expressed her fears to MGR about the likelihood of her being kept out of the party headquarters at the Avvai Shanmugham Road (Old Lloyds Road) in the heart of Madras city and Mr Ramachandran, according to her, got the place which was in the name of his wife Janaki transferred it to the party’s name and he has in his will stated that the property housing the party headquarters would be under a trust

Close on the heels of the news conference held by the Nedunchezhian-Jayalalitha group, at the AIADMK headquarters, Mr S. Raghavanandam the party’s senior deputy general secretary, who belongs to the Veerappan-Janaki Ramachandran group, told newsmen that he concurred with the statement of party treasurer S. Madhavan who said that the announcements made by the Nedunchezhian-layalalitha group were in contravention of the party’s regulation.

Mr Madhavan, who answered most of the questions of newsmen, said that there were certain rules and regulations for convening the general council meeting and according to him, the convening of the meeting and the other announcement were illegal. He also said that the election of Ms Jayalalitha as party general secretary was also improper.

Among those present there included Dr H V Hande and Mr K. Kalimuthu, deputy general secretaries, party Assembly whip Durai Murugan and Mrs Sathyavani Muthu.

Mr Madhavan replying to a question whether his party would take any disciplinary action against those who conducted a parallel meeting at the party headquarters this morning including Mr Nedunchezhian, Ms Jayalatitha and other Ministers and party functionaries, he said “’no comments”

The party treasurer also justified the convening of the Legislature Party meeting by the senior deputy general secretary and said that it was done as per the party regulations. The party rules, he said, were drafted by MGR himself and as such the election of the general secretary by the district secretaries was wrong. Similarly, the convening of the general body meeting and also the meeting by Ms Jayalalitha was improper.

Mr Raghavanandam pointed out that a compromise was possible if all the party legislators irrespective of their groups attended the Legislature Party meeting convened by him tomorrow. He pointed out that he had even informed Mr Nedunchezhian ab. out the meeting long before the date was fixed.