Modi's political road map: Gujarat to New Delhi via Chennai

Chennai: The most eagerly awaited meeting between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha did not take place today due to some last minute change of plans. However the political significance of Modi’s Tamil Nadu connection remained unchanged as he and the BJP President LK Advani drove to an annual event organised by Cho Ramaswamy, veteran journalist and political commentator close to both BJP and Jayalalitha The mutual appreciation and courtesy between Jayalalithaa and Modi is not new. Jayalalithaa was among the handful of chief ministers present at the swearing-in of Narendra Modi when he assumed office. Similarly, Modi was among the few chief ministers who attended her swearing-in in May last. Recently, speculation was also rife in Chennai that Modi provided considerable moral support to Jayalalithaa in her decision to expel her three-decade-old associate Sasikala and her clan from both her household and the AIADMK. Reports suggest they consult each other on political and development matters. [caption id=“attachment_182185” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The mutual admiration between Gujarat’s chief minister and Tamil Nadu’s chief minister is not new. AFP”] [/caption] In this backdrop, the statement of Jayalalithaa recently at AIADMK’s general council meeting that her party will play a significant role in deciding the next central government and, more importantly, the next prime minister, is of considerable significance. One cannot help but assume that this “prime minister” is none other than Modi. That LK Advani, who is also in the city along with Modi, is not visiting Jayalalithaa adds credence to this line of conjecture. At least till late in the afternoon today, there was no indication that Advani will visit Jaya. Although elections are still a full two years away, given Jaya’s hints, it is safe to assume that she will be throwing her dice with the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections and pitch in for Modi as the prime minister. Modi and Advani are in the city to participate in an annual event of “Thuglak,” a political magazine run by Cho Ramaswamy, a political commentator and veteran journalist who is close to both BJP leaders as well as Jayalalithaa. For the national media, he is the best known hardline supporter of Jaya here. Although he had been critical of Jayalalithaa in the past, even on such occasions he sounded more like a benefactor. Reports during the expulsion of Sasikala also suggested that he played an influential role in the purge. Modi, who arrived in the city this afternoon, has only two personal engagements. One is to visit the family of a state level BJP leader, Sukumaran Nambiar, who died recently, and two, to visit Jayalalitha. The entire battery of the city’s media will descend on Poes Garden today. Whatever little soundbites that they can extract from Modi will be the source of interpretation for the next several days.