by a Thinker, Sailor, Blogger, Irreverent Guy from Madras

Has Chennai Floods affected Jayalalithaa's popularity


The TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa reached out to the people with a voice message yesterday.  Of all the social media, it was viral on WhatsApp. There is no doubt any CM’s popularity would take a beating after a disaster like Chennai Floods.  But what I saw today morning was extraordinary.

There is a lot of speculation and worry that Madras, now Chennai, would slip back into a sort of backwater as far as employment opportunities are concerned, after the floods.  Let us throw back our minds a decade.

Chennai took off as a major IT hub, medical care capital of the nation, and Detroit of India, with the allied ancillary small and micro industries attracting semi and unskilled manpower from across the nation, after the last major flood in 2005, basically because of reconstruction, cheaper land, lower prices skilled manpower, and business friendly government.

Today, after the 2015 Chennai Floods, there is apprehension that the same Industry and Commerce might flee to neighbouring states – except for a business friendly government under Jayalalithaa, all other charms have been nixed by the boom,

But whatever the Industry decides, it is the mood of the people which will propel Jayalalithaa’s bid to retain power in May 2016.  And the mood of the people is right now sullen, if not actually hostile.  While the resentment of the affected people can be understood, I was shocked to see the ADMK flag lying in/near a garbage bin today morning, and a rag picker treating it as just another rag.

The flag could only have come from a die hard party worker’s home.  If so, is that the way wind blows (pun unintended)?  But Jayalalithaa is formidable, and of all the leaders in TN, she is the only one who can change her fortunes singlehandedly.  Witness her call of 'Modi? or Lady?' on the eve of the General Elections 2014, which swung the people behind her.

It will be interesting political commentary in the run up to the Assembly Elections 2016.  But till then here is the image (inset taken from another angle).



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