Kerala delegation to visit Chennai to pay respect to Jayalalithaa

A high level Kerala delegation led by Governor P. Sathasivam and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will on Tuesday visit Chennai to pay their last respects to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa, one of the country's most charismatic political leaders, died in Chennai on Monday night after suffering a cardiac arrest on Sunday. She was 68.

Sathasivam, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, hails from Tamil Nadu.

Besides the two, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala will also visit Chennai. They all are travelling together.

All of them in the past had at one point or the other called on the ailing leader.

Paying glowing tributes to his former Tamil Nadu counterpart, Vijayan said Jayalalithaa was an extraordinary politician the country has seen.

"Entering the political arena straight from the film world, in a very short time she proved her administrative skills. She always ensured that there was a perfect harmony between the people of our two states," said Vijayan.

"She proved to be a leader of the masses and her concern for the poor was what made her dear to them. She was always firmly in control of the administration. She will be missed by all," Chandy said.

As a mark of respect to the departed AIADKM leader, the Kerala government declared a holiday on Tuesday to mourn the demise of Jayalalithaa.

All government offices and educational institutions remain closed on Tuesday.