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High court verdict puts AIADMK on the defensive

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has been shocked by the Madras high court's verdict upholding the validity of the special courts set up by the Tamil Nadu government to try the corruption cases against party general secretary and former chief minister J Jayalalitha and her ministers.

More than the verdict, it is upset at the court's advice to Jayalalitha and the others to face trial and prove their innocence.

Said a lawyer-politician of the party: "This could imply that the court is unhappy with the procedural delays we have managed, and could have a bearing on the Supreme Court's hearing of our stay application."

"The verdict can reopen old wounds," said another AIADMK politician. According to him, "Jayalalitha may do something as shocking as 'reviewing' her support to the Vajpayee government, if only to keep the pressure on the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] leadership and the nation's focus on herself."

State BJP leaders also do not rule out this possibility, particularly given the saffron party's poor prospects in the upcoming assembly elections in four states. "A Jaya bomb is the last thing we want now," said one.

Others, however, said any such threat could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the party.

An AIADMK source agreed: "We will stand exposed before the nation if we threaten the BJP now. For the same reason, the Congress too will not like to touch us. It can damage the Congress's revived poll prospects."

According to this source, the AIADMK is handicapped by the Congress indecision about its future course. "The Congress high command doesn't seem to be sure about its post-poll course, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Sonia Gandhi does not want other parties to wrest the anti-BJP initiative," he said.

The local press has also been carrying inspired reports on the formal split in the AIADMK front and Jayalalitha's reported decision to discuss the alliance with the pro-BJP Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Marumalarchi DMK only when an election is due in the state. "This is the message she wants to send the Congress, that she has distanced herself as much from the BJP combine as is possible in the circumstances," said the AIADMK politician quoted earlier.

But a Congress source said the party is in no great hurry to topple the central government. Whatever intentions it may have had will need to be revised in the light of the court verdict.

He was also unsure about the continued loyalty of all 18 AIADMK members of the Lok Sabha, especially if Jayalalitha withdraws support to Vajpayee.

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