Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami and deputy chief-minister O. Panneerselvam led the AIADMK cadres in paying homage and mourning silently while observing the first death anniversary of the party’s permanent general secretary and former chief-minister J. Jayalalithaa.

OPS and EPS were clad in black shirts as they headed a silent, mammoth rally held from Anna Statue in Mount Road to the late leader’s Marina Beach Memorial.  The rally went through Wallajah Road and reached the Memorial with party cadres holding Jayalalithaa’s photographs, cut-outs, etc. and silently marching up to the Memorial along with the party’s convener and deputy convener.

Vehicular traffic wasn’t thrown out of gear as adequate arrangements were made by the traffic police to ensure that the realists occupied only one side of the road.  However, as the realists neared the Memorial of the late leader, the sprawling Marina Beach appeared to have been overtaken by the cadres.  It may be recalled that the former chief-minister was declared dead on the night of 05th December last year.

State’s administration as well as the AIADMK had gone through several unexpected changes during the past year when people missed Jayalalithaa’s leadership qualities on several occasions.  Ministers, party functionaries, MLAs and cadres marched in silence and observed the first anniversary of their inimitable ‘Puratchithalaivi’ and later undertook a pledge at the Memorial to follow their Amma’s guidelines forever.