Special prayers ahead of Jayalalithaa’s day of judgment

CHENNAI: From the corridors of the state secretariat to court halls and offices of top bureaucrats to wayside tea shops, discussions and debates centre around Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s assets case verdict on September 27.
Many senior AIADMK leaders including ministers and MLAs, have been offering special prayers for a favorable verdict for their party supremo.Political observers said the verdict (either way) would create a huge political impact in Tamil Nadu.
“Amma is very confident about the case. We too believe there would not be any adverse verdict. All the ministers and other senior party leaders will be in Bangalore on Saturday. We have booked the rooms,” a senior minister in Jayalalithaa’s cabinet told TOI.
READ ALSO: Attachment of assets in Jayalalithaa case set aside
The ritualistic poojas and special prayers for Jayalalithaa have been performed by party men in various temples in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
On Monday, Puducherry MLA Omsakthi Sekar had organized a special pooja for Jayalalithaa’s acquittal in the disproportionate assets case. A special prayer called ‘Shatru Samhara Yaham’ was performed in Gomatha temple in Karuvadikuppan in Puducherry. The three-hour-long pooja was performed for propitiating Goddess Amman. MLAs including A Anbazhagan, A Baskar, former MP Ramadoss and many others attended the prayers and performance of the rituals by a 51 member team of vedic pandits at a Vedha Patasala at nearby Karuvadikuppam.

“The pooja was mainly performed for the acquittal of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. We performed the pooja with 51 vedic pandits from our Vedasrama Gurukul. The pooja would help to defeat her enemies as well,” said Raja Sasthiri who was the chief pandit for the pooja.
READ ALSO: Trial court acted like a lawyer in Jaya case, I-T dept tells Madras HC
A few senior AIADMK leaders have also performed special prayers in Vazhakarutheeswarar temple in Kancheepuram district. The temple is known to be a best place to offer prayers to get relief from court cases. It has many VVIP devotees, a Pandit in the temple said.
Meanwhile, opposition parties especially DMK are keenly following the developments. Political analyst Gnani Sankaran said the verdict will create an impact in Tamil Nadu politics and it would pave way for the possible regrouping of alliances for the next assembly polls.
“If she is acquitted from the case it would be a morale booster for her party and one section would feel she has been falsely maligned by DMK. They may think the case was politically motivated. At the same time, another section would be skeptical about the Judiciary. But she could gain popularity,” Gnani observed.