New Delhi to Rule Tamil Nadu; Actor’s Widow Vies for Power

NEW DELHI —  The Indian government Saturday fired the widow of M.G. Ramachandran, a screen idol turned politician, as chief minister of Tamil Nadu and imposed direct rule on India’s southernmost state.

The decision opened up a battle for supremacy between the widow, Janaki Ramachandran, and her husband’s former leading lady and close associate, Jayalalitha.

President Ramaswami Venkataraman said he had agreed to a request from S.L. Khurana, governor of Tamil Nadu, to impose direct rule and dissolve the state assembly after “the breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state.”

He said Khurana, who will rule on New Delhi’s behalf, has been told to call fresh elections.

Turmoil has gripped the state since Ramachandran’s death Dec. 24 at age 70. His widow, Janaki, 67, is fighting a challenge from Jayalalitha, her late husband’s 40-year-old former co-star and companion, to become chief minister.

Siren of the Screen

Jayalalitha, described by the Indian press as a sultry siren of the screen, is well known to millions of Tamil villagers from her appearances in some of Ramachandran’s 130 films. Some accounts have described her as his mistress.

Jayalalitha claims strong grass-roots support in the party founded by Ramachandran.

The widow however, had enough support among party assembly members to persuade the state governor to swear her in as chief minister on Jan. 7. She was given three weeks to prove she had a majority in the house.

The tension boiled over Thursday when the assembly met to vote, and police were sent in to break up fighting between the two women’s supporters. At least 12 people were hurt as politicians wrenched microphones loose to use as clubs, and hurled paperweights and sandals at opponents.

The outcome of the Tamil Nadu power struggle could affect India’s role in Sri Lanka, off the tip of India. Ramachandran was a crucial supporter of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s efforts to end a Tamil separatist war in Sri Lanka, and support from Tamil Nadu’s 50 million Tamils is considered vital to success of an accord under which thousands of Indian peacekeeping troops are in Sri Lanka.