The Queen Bee

The inevitability of post-poll alliances will humble those strutting around as prime-ministerial aspirants to a stooping level hitherto not perceived by them.  “Warm relationships” may turn hot or cold when regional satraps bargain hard for cabinet berths— after all, the logic of coalition governments hinges on cabinet berths. These regional players will be tough to crack but none is expected to be tougher than the Southern queen, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalithaa. 

With her eyes on Delhi and on a larger role for herself in the nation state, her party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIDMK), is contesting solo in all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in this 2014 elections. And depending on how the two main alliances NDA and UPA perform, she would of course certainly be in much demand if she has the the requisite numbers that either of the two need for a majority.

If the NDA falls short of seats for a majority and needs her support, the general impression is that she will, in all likelihood, lend her support. “But for Jayalalithaa everything will come at a price. She has been hurt by the BJP’s careless remarks about Tamil Nadu’s power problems and progress. The last few days of her campaigning saw her lash out at the BJP and their failure to address the Cauvery issue and she spewed disdain at the Gujarat model of development,” says a journalist who would rather not be named. 

Interestingly, most people seem guarded when they asked to comment on Jayalalithaa, who is also known as “Amma”,  for she is said to be unforgiving. But she commands respect from both friend and foe, and pure unalloyed adulation from her supporters and the party cadre.

“Unlike the other women leaders in the country, the belligerent Mamata Banerjee or Mayawati, Jayalalithaa is suave, classy and astute. She is politically well-informed and her understanding of domestic issues and foreign affairs is far more than any other other Chief Minister. In a national rating she would come second only perhaps to Nitish Kumar. She is a queen bee and knows her part,” says Ramu Manivannan, professor of Political Science, Madras University. 

Without any other star candidates in the AIADMK, the Chief minister had to shoulder the major work in the election campaign. “From the selection of the candidates onwards, there is a culture of obedience and loyalty in the party. Everyone is suspect and if ' you are not with me then you are against me' is her attitude,” says the same journalist who declines to be named.  

It is also rumoured that Jayalalithaa had given all the candidates standing for the election a list of instructions on how to behave during the campaigning. The candidates are expected to attribute all achievements to Jayalalithaa and not take credit for themselves etc. 

She has strived to create an image and this she has done both through her actions and by regulating how she is captured by the lens. She rarely gives lengthy interviews or allows her photographs to be taken. Photographers say that she understands the nature of the medium and knows about the angle of the pictures. “If she is uncomfortable about the way a photograph is being taken then she points out to the person and asks them to stop taking pictures. She obviously does not like to be portrayed in bad light.” says a former magazine photographer. 

But what the hacks can't comprehend is her inability to use her dramatic skills when she gives her public speeches. “She reads straight from the carefully crafted written text. She is flat on delivery and sometimes looks up and gesticulates and asks the crowd to respond,” says another journalist.

The AIADMK is likened to a bee hive where there is the supreme leader, the queen bee, and the worker bees (read cadre) without anyone in between. There is a vacuum in between. This, say analysts, can be an advantage for the leadership but a disadvantage for the party because it is dictated by an absence of political democracy and even though the party may not withstand a transitional crisis this seems to be the least of their worries. 

Though Jayalalithaa’s cabinet is like a game of musical chairs and the ministers are shuffled regularly, no one is complaining. Since 2011, her cabinet has seen nine cabinet reshuffles— some major and some minor. Says Manivannan, “All chief ministers shuffle their cabinets but when Jayalalithaa does it, it is considered as authoritarianism. This is her way of controlling the government. She commands the cabinet but she communicates creatively with the bureaucracy. She gives personal attention to the policies and during her tenure you find the bureaucracy has more leeway.” 

Her economic policies have seen her focus on healthcare, primary education, girl child education and small and medium scale industries. “She has effectively introduced unique schemes using central government and World Bank funds to promote this. She has also been able to better the human indices by insisting on child birth in hospitals,” says L. Somasundaram, director Akara Research and Technologies, who has been monitoring governance and economic policies of Tamil Nadu. “She has used innovative methods for poverty alleviation and she is data driven. She likes to know the data history and how it has been improved and what are the plans and solutions for the area. She has been able to monitor the things at the grass root level and therefore effectively implement schemes,” he adds.

Her largesse in doling out freebies further seals her image as a benevolent goddess. She has given away mixers, grinders, fans, aadu and maddu (goats and cows) among other things. She is seen as Goddess Annapurni for opening Amma Unavagam (canteens) all over Tamil Nadu.

“ It is not Jayalalithaa alone that has doled out freebies, welfare is often an abused word in Tamil Nadu. It is repeated by politicians who are on a five-year struggle to come to power and another five year to remain. Freebies are given away in the name of welfare measures, unmindful of the damage it does to the economy in the long run. But I think her Amma canteens are a good idea because where else can the poor get a proper meal for Rs 5? There are more than 200 in Chennai alone,” says Arun Ram, senior editor, The Times of India, Chennai who has been covering Tamil Nadu politics for over 15 years.

But it is her policies in the power sector that might hurt her badly and could be one reason that will hamper her dreams for power play in the Lok Sabha. “It is the biggest problem. 30 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s electricity comes from the hydro electric power plants and this has failed completely. In the Wind energy there has been little investment to connect the power generation from the site to the grid. Jayalalithaa has failed to rectify this after assuming office and instead concentrated on the large electric power plants. Tamil Nadu will have to wait for another six months to a year to come out of its power problems. This may see the small and medium scale industries completely wiped out,” says an authority on power policy. “Jayalalithaa seems to be focussing on the assembly elections that will happen in another two years time. By that time the power crisis will be over.”

“She is an outstanding administrator and expects total discipline from her party cadre. You will not find AIADMK workers drinking during an election campaign. Right from the ministers, representatives to the worker on the lowest rung take up a position and stand rooted to the spot while waiting for her. What you cannot understand is how her supporters and the party members bow to the chopper when she lands and again bow to the chopper when it lifts off with her. There is also a practice of paying obeisance to her by prostrating in front of her,” says the journalist who refuses to be named. “You cannot blame Jayalalithaa for this kind of political sycophancy. It is the political culture of India but it does not augur well for a representative democracy.” 

And sycophancy will be in play unless there is a clear verdict for one of the alliances. It is not a question of whether but how much those who come calling to Poes Garden for her support will end up prostrating before her.