Chennai, Nov 24 (UNI)Tamil film Superstar Rajinikanth, who had nursed political ambitions before
calling it quits, on Sunday described the AIADMK's most popular 'Two Leaves' symbol as that
party's Brahmastra.
In a video message telecast at an AIADMK event marked to celebrate the birth centenary of late
AIADMK Founder, former Chief Minister an matinee idol MG Ramachandran’s spouse, VN Janaki
on Sunday, he said it was Ms Janaki who played a pivotal role in re-unification of the AIADMK,
when it had split after MGR's death in 1987, and restoring the symbol back.
Praising Ms Janaki, who is the first woman Cheif Minister of Tamil Nadu and was forced to quit
after a mere 24 days in power following dissolution of her government formed after MGR's death
after losing the trust vote in the State Assembly arising out of unfortunate political developments
at the time of split in 1988--with one faction led by her and the other by Ms Jayalalithaa, the then
Propaganda Secretary of the AIADMK--Rajini credited her for the unification of the AIADMK by
quitting politics and handing over the party to the charismatic leader J Jayalalithaa, who later
led the party and became the Chief Minister.
"The ‘Two Leaves’ symbol is the Brahmastra of the AIADMK and madam Janaki had played a
key role in its retrieval after it was frozen following the party’s split after MGR's death"
Describing Ms Janaki as a humble and affectionate person, he said "it was a great sacrifice
and I congratulate the AIADMK for celebrating her centenary".
With the party’s iconic ‘Two Leaves’ symbol was frozen due to the split, both the AIADMK
factions contested the 1989 assembly election under different symbols.
But it was the DMK under M Karunanidhi won the elections and the Jayalalithaa faction won just
27 seats while the Janaki faction drew a blank.
After the electoral defeat, Ms Janaki had decided that Ms Jayalalithaa was the best person to
lead the party and carry forward the MGR's legacy, qut politics and handed over the party to
Ms Jayalalithaa, paving the way for the retrieval of the party symbol. And the rest is history.
UNI GV 2110