Jayalalithaa likely to make her first public appearance on Friday

Chennai, May 19: After acquittal by Karnataka High Court from a disproportionate assets case, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa is likely to make her first public appearance on Friday for a scheduled MLAs meet here, party officials said.

On May 22, the 67-year-old leader would garland the statues of party founder M G Ramachandran, former Chief Minister C N Annadurai, and Dravidian veteran E V Ramaswamy popularly known as Periyar, a party statement said.

Jayalalithaa last week had announced convening of the legislature party leaders meeting on Friday at around 7 am where observers feel she may be elected as Legislature Party Leader. There are, however, no clear indications on whether the oath taking ceremony of Jayalalithaa would take place on Friday or in the coming days.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued yesterday, Jayalalithaa said that those things desired by her party cadres would happen at the right time and "nobody can stop" it. Those who have tried to defeat me have never succeeded. Rumours are being spread by them with an intention to ensure their political survival," she had said.

The party chief asked her cadres to ignore rumours and said AIADMK had walked a path of discipline and planned strategies. "We are at the cusp of victory after crossing all the hurdles. Our politics and administration should be based on legal principles and guidelines.

That is how we have been functioning." "That is why, our successive steps are being taken according to a planned itinerary. There is no confusion regarding this; no problems," she had stated. P

PTI