Jaya hopeful

NEW DELHI, April 2: AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha today indicated to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that though she was not setting a de...

NEW DELHI, April 2: AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha today indicated to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that though she was not setting a deadline, grounds should be prepared to pave the way for dismissal of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. The law and order situation in the State are expected to be the focus.

She did not seem to be disturbed by Vajpayee’s statement this morning in the Rajya Sabha that the Centre had no plans to dismiss the TN government and that Article 356 would not be misused. After her meeting with him, she told her confidantes that she was hopeful that the DMK government would be dismissed. "These things take time and should be done in stages. Documents should be prepared," Jayalalitha said. She said that she would send relevant papers from time to time. Pointing out that Home Minister L K Advani had already gone on record about the situation in TN, she told journalists after the meeting that there was no timeframe for dismissal. "It is up to the Centre to take a view on it and theyare aware of the procedures."

Asked about Vajpayee’s statement in Parliament, Jayalalitha expressed surprise at the statement, asking the reporters whether Vajpayee had in fact made such a statement. She was, however, quick to add that he must have made it in some context. AIADMK too was against the misuse of Article 356, she said. "But when there is such a constitutional provision, it should be used wherever it is necessary. The DMK deserves to be sacked." Asked after the meeting whether she found out from Vajpayee in what context he had made the remark, Jayalalitha replied in the negative. She claimed that this issue did not figure during her meeting with the PM. Only the problem of the Tamil Mercantile Bank had been discussed, she said. Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Jaswant Singh was also present.

Story continues below this ad

Sources said that Vajpayee had requested him to be there since Singh knows her mind. It was Singh who had succeeded in persuading the former Tamil Nadu chief minister to participate in thegovernment. Asked whether she was happy over allocation of portfolio to Minister of State for Finance and Revenue R K Kumar, she said, "We are happy. This is what we wanted." Sources said that Vajpayee had also accepted her demand for two more ministers of State from the AIADMK front when Cabinet expansion takes place.

On her other demand for Governors of her choice in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Jayalalitha was reportedly given the assurance that she would be consulted before any changes were made.