The Marina Beach in Chennai is where thousands have gathered from across the state to witness the return of “Amma” or mother – as Jayalalithaa is known by her adoring supporters – and they will sleep in the open tonight.
Many of them are watching the news on mute, on two giant screens set up for the occasion.
Screens have been put up in several places to enable thousands of supporters to watch the swearing in ceremony tomorrow at 11 am in the Madras University’s Centenary auditorium.
Eight months after she was forced to quit over corruption charges, Jayalalithaa will be sworn in along with 28 ministers. The 67-year-old leader believes in consulting astrologers for the most auspicious time and place for major events in her life.
O Panneerselvam, who became chief minister after she quit but never quite embraced the role, will be her finance minister.
The ruling BJP at the Centre is expected to be represented in the ceremony. Sources say a senior union minister, Arun Jaitley or Sushma Swaraj, could come for the oath ceremony.
In 2011, Narendra Modi, now prime minister, had attended the swearing-in of Jayalalithaa.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter Kavita, an MP, will also attend the ceremony.
It is not known yet whether Jayalalithaa’s neighbor and southern superstar Rajinikanth will be among the guests.
It was earlier believed that the ceremony would be simple, but party sources say since the venue is a university auditorium instead of the governor’s residence, there is likely to be a little more colour. It will certainly be different from one ceremony eight months ago, when O Panneerselvam and his ministers wept through their oaths.
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