Jaya accorded value to friendship: Official

Shanmugavalli, was then studying in school and her father, Muniyasamy, was then the Deputy Mayor of Madurai Corporation. It was a time when Jayalalithaa was cementing her place in the party and was participating in a number of public meetings. At Madurai, a public meeting was held and it was organised by her father Muniyasamy. Jayalalithaa come to their house in Indira Nagar to discuss various issues with her father. “What are you studying” was the first question of Jayalalithaa after she was introduced by her father and asked her to study well claimed Shanmugavalli. 

Then she took a photograph with Jayalalithaa. During that visit, Jayalalithaa had extensive discussions with her father and others in their house and it continued well-beyond midnight. Jayalalithaa visited her house again after many years. By then, s was married. Jayalalithaa could not attend the marriage. “I was surprised and very happy when I came to know that she had promptly come home to just enquire about the marriage and wish her in person,” claimed Shanmugavalli. 

Shanmugavalli entered politics in 1996 when the ward won by her father was then declared as reserved for women. Automatically she was the choice for the people of the area and she was chosen as the counsellor. Though she contested for the Chairman of the East Zone of Madurai Corporation she had lost by a single vote but was given the post of Chairman of Education Committee. Shanmugavalli attributes her success in her carrier to the inspiration that she drew from Jayalalithaa.  “She was an ‘Iron Lady’ in the party and kept all the affairs under her control.” All these administrative skills had inspired her and in her political life too she had followed Jayalalithaa.