Jaya breaks the ice, thanks Stalin for attending swearing-in

Had the officials informed her that Stalin was made to sit behind, she would have got him to sit in front, she says

The ice seems to be melting between the arch rivals in the Tamil Nadu politics. The newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), J Jayalalithaa, has sent a note thanking her arch rival, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M K Stalin, for attending her swearing-in ceremony.

While it is not sure whether the sportive spirit would remain intact over the next five years, the move comes across as an effort to break the ice between the two parties after almost three decades.

In a rare gesture in Tamil Nadu politics, answering to a complaint by DMK that Stalin was made to sit in a back row while leaders who failed in the election occupied the front row, she said that he was seated according to protocol. However, she added that had she been informed about it, she would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements, to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual.

Stalin was former Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and is currently a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and new opposition leader in the State.

Jayalalithaa in a statement today said, "I am happy to note that Thiru M K Stalin, MLA, attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Council of Ministers on 23 May, 2016. I thank him for attending the event".

She said that Stalin was seated in the block of seats intended for Members of the Legislative Assembly and she was told that it was as per the Protocol Manual followed by the Public Department in allocating seats in the hall for the event.

"If this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his Party. Had the officers brought to my notice that Thiru M K Stalin would be attending the event, I would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements, to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual," said Jayalalithaa. The AIADNK Supremo also wished Stalin well and said she is looking forward to work with his party for the betterment of the state.

While the DMK leader's presence in the ceremony itself has raised several eyebrows, since the acrimony between the two political parties, the note from Jayalalithaa, who is known for being tough with her arch rival, comes as a surprise to many. Stalin was made to sit in the 10th row, sparking a  political debate.

Unlike in neighbouring states in other parts of the country, the political equation between the AIADMK and DMK leaders has always been ugly.

DMK President M Karunanidhi, who has not attended Assembly during the past five years that AIADMK has been ruling, made a statement that Jayalalithaa's party had insulted his own at the swearing in ceremony of the new government by making his son and political successor sit among the masses.

The DMK, by virtue of winning 89 seats in the elections, will head the opposition in the Assembly, and Stalin will be in the front row in the assembly, he said.

On the other hand Karunanidhi pointed out R Sarathkumar, the leader of All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, was alloted a seat in the front row. Sarathkumar, incidentally, lost in the election.