Maybe, a slender hope of success in the DMK move to appeal to the apex court to upturn the Karnataka High Court Judgement of May 11 for its 'arithmetical errors' in calculating Jaya's assets, is all that Mr Karunanidhi ambitiously banks on, to get the AIADMK leader unseated again, perhaps even before the May 2016 assembly elections.

Short of such a miracle, Mr Karunanidhi knows that even a grand alliance of all non-AIADMK parties and other outfits would find it challenging to stem the tide of massive support that Ms. Jayalalithaa continues to enjoy in the fourth year of her term. None of the significant opposition segments including DMDK of Capt. Vijaykant, currently the leading opposition in Assembly since 2011 displacing DMK, and PMK of Dr. Ramadoss has shown interest in any DMK-led alliance so far.

PMK has, however, favoured an appeal to the Supreme Court for finality in the case. (Mr Karunanidhi would proceed with DMK filing an appeal only after the Karnataka Government’s view on the matter becomes clear.) Both DMDK and PMK were having their own ambitions to be at the driving wheel for any alliance, not reckoning the possibility of Amma’s acquittal.

Indeed, the ruling AIADMK finds itself in greater resurgence and expectations under 'Amma' rule, after an absence of seven and a half months she was on bail. Given her decisiveness, a sense of confidence has returned for Tamil Nadu regaining its economic vibrancy and for stronger political equations with the Modi Government at the Centre.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated her on her return to office. And so was senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister Mr P Chidambaram, on her assuming office for the fifth time. Ms. Jayalalithaa claimed after the verdict in her favour, that she had emerged 'pure gold in a fire test', proved her “innocence” and foiled the conspiracies of her political enemies.

On her first day in office, back in Fort St. George, Ms. Jayalalithaa cleared on Monday (May 25) a slew of welfare schemes (Rs.1800 crore) for improving roads and drinking water facilities and rural housing. Another 201 of the highly popular Amma Canteens providing quality and cheaper food were opened to mark the day.

But the State Government, perceived to be indecisive and drifting in her absence, has now to catch up with unfinished tasks including some of the power projects and other developmental and welfare programmes. The state’s finances, of late, are also not in good shape

The former acting Chief Minister Mr O Panneerselvam had drawn the Prime Minister’s attention to the loss the state had incurred under the 14th Finance Commission devolution formula. Tamil Nadu also remains strongly opposed to GST in its present form as, being a manufacturing state, it would lose substantial tax revenue. Ms. Jayalalithaa had also been critical of recent fuel price increases by the NDA Government.

Already, AIADMK with as many as 37 MPs in Lok Sabha and an impressive presence in Rajya Sabha has been assertive on certain issues in Parliament. Certainly, the Modi Government counts a great deal in having “friendly approaches” to the AIADMK Government if only to get its key legislative measures through without hitch.

The evolution of this relationship in the weeks to come will be keenly watched for its implications both at the state and national levels. So far, there has been ambivalence among BJP leaders at the Centre and State level on how far the party should push itself into state politics, with the strong come-back of the AIADMK leader.

For months now, BJP at the state level, under party president Mr Amit Shah’s directions, had conducted a pre-poll membership drive which was claimed to be highly successful. Local party leaders talked of electioneering in opposition to the “corrupt regimes of both DMK and AIADMK”. Senior Ministers of Modi Government were also scheduled to descend on the state for poll propaganda dubbing Dravidian regimes as corrupt..

DMK under the leadership of Mr M K Stalin, virtually designated as chief ministerial candidate, also hopes to run his campaign denouncing the “corrupt and inefficient” regime of AIADMK with major economic issues neglected. The party took stock of the work of its cadres in southern districts and decided that, with Ms. Jayalalithaa back at the helm, it would preferably have first to get on with an appeal against the verdict of Karnataka High Court.

Mr Karunanidhi had been pressuring the Karnataka Government to go in appeal against the order of acquittal of Ms. Jayalalithaa by Mr Justice C Kumaraswamy of Karnataka High Court, as suggested by the Special Prosecutor Mr B V Acharya who cited some major discrepancies in totalling the disproportionate assets. The case was heard in Karnataka (outside T N) as directed by the apex court while that State itself had only administrative jurisdiction.

The Congress Government in Karnataka headed by Mr. Siddaramiah had not so far taken any decision and was consulting its legal advisers on advisability of involving itself in an appeal to the Supreme Court on a matter of not direct concern to itself. The Congress party’s legal cell in the state has also advised against filing an appeal, stating the role of Karnataka in the case was administrative and not judicial.

This was made clear in the transfer petition (while trial was shifted to Bengaluru) where government said it had “no interest in the outcome of the trial”, the legal cell pointed out. The Chief Minister had been maintaining government would take an “appropriate decision”.

Unperturbed by what her rivals may say or plan, Ms. Jayalalithaa, adored by the masses, exhibits quiet confidence of overcoming all obstacles, as she had done in the past, and says the party would carry forward its well-articulated politics and administration “based on legal principles and guidelines”. She is expected to champion the interests of the state in relation to the Modi Government’s reform agenda and “cooperative federalism”. Coinciding with the Modi Government's blitzkrieg on its One Year record, the Jayalalithaa Government has also come out with its achievements of 'Glorious Rule of Four Years' under Puratchi Thalaivi Selvi J. Jayalalithaa with major welfare, investment, employment, food security and pro-poor programmes. (IPA Service)