Chennai: With AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa all set to be sworn in as Chief Minister for the fifth time on Saturday, the Madras University where the ceremony is scheduled, has turned into a fortress. Chennai police have put in place a three-tier security comprising around 5,000 personnel for the ceremony,  with several hundreds at the campus alone.

Cops will also be using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the crowd.

Lakhs of people from across the state are expected to come to Chennai ahead of the swearing-in. “On Friday, almost all the traffic cops were on duty. The crowd on Saturday is going to be bigger. We have a tough task at hand,” said a traffic police officer. The swearing in is scheduled at the university’s Centenary auditorium around 11 am.“Only those,  including the university staff, with valid IDs will be allowed entry into the campus.

Invitees have been instructed to reach the auditorium two hours ahead of the schedule, said a senior police officer. The AIADMK leader will enter  the campus through an exclusive gate, which might be used by Governor as well. The police’s top brass had been supervising the security arrangements since Wednesday.  

Meanwhile, on Friday, several parts of the city came to a standstill as the AIADMK General secretary made her first public appearance following her acquittal in the disproportionate assets case. Hordes of cadres gathered near Raj Bhavan where she met Governor K. Rosaiah around 2 pm.

Traffic was blocked on both sides along the Sardar Patel Road where the Raj Bhavan was located. The meeting between the Governor and the Chief Minister-designate lasted half an hour after which she left to pay homage to the MGR statue at Anna Salai. According to a traffic police officer, “The cops were on duty since 7 am on Friday and ensured that vehicles moved in spite of the heavy presence of AIADMK cadres who thronged Anna Salai.”