Jaya is Leader of Oppn in TN Assembly

Chennai, May 30: Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who was unanimously elected as the AIADMK Legislature Party Leader by her MLAs yesterday, has been recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

''Yes, the recognition has been given,'' Speaker R Avudaiappan told reporters at the end of today's proceedings of the House.

The AIADMK supremo is donning the role of the Leader of the Opposition after a gap of 17 years.

Ms Jayalalithaa, who initially decided to stay away from the House in view of ''unsavoury incidents'' in 1989, changed her mind after the en masse suspension of her party MLAs for alleged unruly behaviour.

Meanwhile, Ms Jayalalithaa, who attended the House on May 27 and took part in the proceedings as a member, did not turn up today belying expectations that she would wind up the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in her new capacity as the Leader of the Opposition.

Whether the former chief minister would come to the House or not remained a suspense till the very end with even AIADMK legislators, including Deputy Leader of the Opposition O Panneerselvam, in the dark.

The AIADMK members were seen huddled in the room of the Leader of the Opposition anxiously waiting for their leader.

Earlier, tension prevailed on the Assembly premises as AIADMK MLAs were denied entry into Fort St George, housing the Legislative Assembly. Tempers ran high as AIADMK members, including former Ministers, were stopped at the main entrance. In heated arguments with security personnel, the members insisted that they be allowed inside the premises.

They argued that the Speaker had only suspended them from attending the House and it would not bar them from meeting officials or entering the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition. They also raised slogans against the Government.

Though some of them managed to enter the premises breaching the barricade, they were stopped at another point by security men. They were also prevented from assembling before the Speaker's entrance where Ms Jayalalithaa was expected to arrive, leading to heated arguments.

After a long and strenuous effort, the AIADMK members managed to assemble at the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition, from where they listened to the proceedings of the House on speaker put up in the room.

Meanwhile, the Assembly complex was virtually turned into a high-security fort with the deployment of unprecedented police force in view of Ms Jayalalithaa's expected visit to the House.

Police personnel kept a close watch on the entire stretch of Marina beach road, leading to Fort St George, and turned away AIADMK cadres and functionaries.

UNI