One of India’s most powerful politicians yesterday returned as chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, less than two weeks after a court acquitted her of corruption.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram — a former film star — was forced to stand down after being found guilty in September last year of amassing illegal wealth while in office.
The 67-year-old was sentenced to four years in jail and fined 1 billion rupees (US$15.75 million) in a case that ran for nearly two decades, but a higher court cleared her of corruption earlier this month.
Photo: AFP
The packed venue of Madras University erupted in cheers as Jayalalithaa, draped in an emerald green sari, took an oath in Tamil while her 28 cabinet ministers stood behind her on the stage.
The leader enjoys huge popularity in Tamil Nadu, where fans know her simply as Amma (mother) and ministers have been known to prostrate themselves before her.
Throngs of jubilant supporters lined the roads leading to the swearing-in venue in the state capital, Chennai, waving party flags, as police struggled to control crowds as her heavily-guarded motorcade zoomed past.
Hundreds of supporters, many in colorful dress, held up photos of Jayalalithaa, handed out sweets and danced to the beat of drums chanting “Amma, Amma” and “Amma is back.”
Jayalalithaa has earned the loyalty of many voters in Tamil Nadu with a series of highly populist schemes, including an “Amma canteen” that provides lunch for just three rupees.
During last year’s general election campaign, she garnered huge support by handing out freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.
Jayalalithaa’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party is the third largest force in the Indian parliament, and she is regarded as close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with many of his Bharatiya Janata Party leaders attending her ceremony.
The corruption claims against her were first brought by a rival politician in the state in 1996.
She was charged a year later when police seized assets including 28kg gold, 750 pairs of shoes and more than 10,000 saris in a raid on her home.
Prosecutors said her assets, which reportedly included two 400-hectare estates in Tamil Nadu, were vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister — between 1991 and 1996.
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