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N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
In a development certain to make a big impact on Tamil Nadu politics, Chennai Special Judge S S P Dwaresh will deliver his verdict in the multi-crore-rupee coal import scandal case on Thursday. Former chief minister and All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary J Jayalalitha is the prime accused in the case.
The verdict assumes immediate significance because the Election Commission has announced its schedule for by-elections in the state.
While an acquittal will clear the decks for Jayalalitha to contest the Andipatti by-election, now scheduled for February 21, it could also enthuse her to make an early return to the chief minister's chair. Jayalalitha has already declared her intention to contest the Andipatti seat, vacated for her by the AIADMK's Thanga Thamizhselvan.
Conversely, a conviction could spoil her immediate chances of returning to power, and even contesting the by-election, if the sentence is for a term longer than two years.
According to reports, the pending coal import case was one of the reasons Jayalalitha did not resume the mantle of chief minister in spite of being cleared by Justice N Dinakar of the Madras high court in the two TANSI land deal cases and the Hotel Pleasant Stay case.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had held her appointment as chief minister null and void, citing her conviction in the TANSI cases and her consequent disqualification from contesting the state assembly elections in May.
The Supreme Court had also restored her name as an accused in the coal import case after Justice K Thangaraj of the Madras High Court had upheld the discharge granted by Special Judge V Radhakrishnan.
The Cases Against Jayalalitha: The complete coverage
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