The size of rally was impressive even from the standards of
a city which has a proven record of hosting such mega
events. And if the prime minister, having been under strain
for long, was looking for something to lift his spirits, he
got that in plenty.
More than the size of the rally, what has come as a shot in
the arm for the prime minister is complete rupture in the
Jayalalitha-led alliance. Ms Jayalalitha, who used to hold
the Centre to ransom through the 24-member TN bloc, today
stands isolated, with only Subramaniam Swamy willing to bet
on her political acumen.
Although the allies of the prime minister indulged in
semantic at the Marina Beech rally and did not venture to
predict the end of the alliance with Ms Jayalalitha, they
gave clear hints that they are no longer prisoners of her
whims and mood swings.
Having painted Ms Jayalalitha into a corner with the
assistance of the TN parties, the BJP has sent a firm
signal to the Poes Garden - the party and the government
will no longer remain a silent sufferer. This new
confidence was reflected when the prime minister clearly
ruled out the invocation of Article 356 to get rid of a
duly-elected government. ``If a promise was made during
election, it was based on the basis of the existing
reality. If the scenario has changed, the government will
not misuse the Article,'' the prime minister said. The
Union home minister, L K Advani, who has been target of Ms
Jayalalitha's attack was equally clear. Mr Advani told the
rally that the government will use the Article only if it
was convinced that it can satisfy the President and the
judiciary. The home minister's assertion came barely an
hour after Ms Jayalalitha accused him of going back on his
promise at the Tiruchirappally rally convened by the
AIADMK.What must be most galling for Ms Jayalalitha is the
prime minister's t-so-veiled attack on her for the constant
distractions. ``There is a need for greater transparency
and co-operation''. Unmistakably, he was hinting at the
constant tantrums of Ms Jayalalitha.
What has come as a bonus for the prime minister is the
anxiety of the DMK leader and the state chief minister M
Karunanidhi to be on the right side of the prime minister.
The chief minister, who pulled out all stops to give the
MDMK rally the aura of an officially-sponsored function,
also made the loud and clear friendly noises and even
expressed his willingness to do business with the prime
minister's party, provided it turned ``secular''.
However, the prime minister made it clear that all dealings
will have to be on his terms when he told reporters that
his party did not need anybody's certificate of ``secular
behaviour''.
There were more good news for the prime minister from Tamil
Nadu. While the DMK has made its reluctance to play
politics according to the rules set by the ``secular
guardians'' in New Delhi, even the CPI - which is in the
periphery of Delhi's powergames - is sharply divided over
supporting the Congress for dislodging the Vajpayee
government. The stand of the Leftists is crucial the
concretisation of the rival alliance as the other
formations are dependent on them for providing with the
necessary political logic for groupings that could
otherwise be termed as opportunistic.
With the coalition distractions behind him at least for the
moment, the prime minister also announced his resolve to
concentrate on other important things - the economy and the
question of price rise.
Although the prime minister did not spell out what he has
in mind on reviving economy, he said that the government
was planning a series of measures. He also warned the
bureaucracy of stern action if they did not fall in line.
``We have inherited a system that has not been responding
to our calls. I will make it respond,'' the prime minister
said.