Ravi Shankar may represent Modi government for Jayalalithaa's swearing ceremony

Chennai: The ruling BJP at the Centre is expected to be represented in the swearing-in ceremony of AIADMK supremo Ms J. Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister at a gala function at 11 am on Saturday at the historic Madras University Centenary Auditorium.Sources in the saffron party told this correspondent that Union telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will represent the Narendra Modi-government. Though BJP seniors including Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, have also been invited for the oath taking ceremony, it is still not clear if they would attend. “We may receive confirmation early on Saturday morning… there is then security protocol,” a senior BJP leader here said on Friday night.

In 2011, Mr Narendra Modi had attended the swearing-in of Ms Jayalalithaa. Sources said a few BJP state leaders including national secretary H. Raja have also been invited.Meanwhile, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan have greeted Ms Jayalalithaa.

“Her return will help in implementing various developmental projects in the state. I believe her return will help in expediting various developmental projects including Colachel Port (in Kanyakumari district),” he said.“The only person capable of administering the state in the present situation is Ms Jayalalithaa as she has steered her AIADMK to a full majority in the 2011 Assembly election,” he said recently.

As several AIADMK posters hail her return: “Our Mother is Back,” and so do the ecstatic AIADMK cadres, the BJP here is also euphoric as a possible poll tie up with her party will help to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2016 elections.