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As the body of J Jayalalithaa, who died in harness as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, lay in state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of India Pranab Mukherjee led the mourners in paying homage to the departed leader.
Jayalalithaa, who was also the General Secretary of the AIADMK, died on Monday following a cardiac arrest the previous day. She had been in Apollo Hospitals since September 22.
Senior politicians, including Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, Opposition party leaders, industrialists and a galaxy of stars from the entertainment industry joined thousands of AIADMK supporters in paying homage.
The passing of Jayalalithaa, the undisputed leader of the AIADMK for nearly three decades, leaves a vacuum at the top. O Panneerselvam, Finance Minister, took over as Chief Minister in a simple swearing-in ceremony held within a couple of hours of her demise.
But the key question is: who will take over as the General Secretary of the ruling party?
Speculation is rife that it could be Jayalalithaa’s close confidante Sasikala Natarajan. Sasikala’s very visible presence, along with her relatives, next to the body of Jayalalithaa as it lay in state on Tuesday, lends credence to this view.
Apollo Hospitals formally announced Jayalalithaa’s demise at 11.30 pm on Monday. Her body was taken to her residence in Poes Garden in the heart of the city for traditional rituals before being taken to Rajaji Hall at dawn, where it lay in state.
The entire State shut down following the announcement, but despite the emotionally charged atmosphere and the large gathering of supporters, calm was maintained in Chennai and elsewhere in the State throughout the day.
Thousands of mourners trooped past Jayalalithaa’s body, craning their necks to a get a clear view of their ‘Amma’, which had been placed at the top of the wide stairs at the historic Rajaji Hall, built a couple of centuries ago.
Among the dignitaries who paid their homage to Jayalalithaa were Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman, Pon Radhakrishnan; Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha – N Chandrababu Naidu, Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan and Naveen Patnaik; Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao; Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi; and State Opposition party leaders DMK treasurer MK Stalin, DMDK leader Vijayakant and MDMK leader Vaiko.
Representatives of the entertainment industry also turned out in strength, led by superstar Rajinikant.
Jayalalithaa was laid to rest with state honours at 6.10 pm next to the memorial of her mentor and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran on the Marina Beach.
Her body was placed on a flower-decked open carriage and taken to the burial site amid huge security followed by thousands of her supporters.
After the national flag draped around her body was removed, she was placed in a sandalwood casket and solemnly lowered into the ground.
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