Chennai: Exhorting her supporters to ensure a 'complÂeÂte win' for the party so that the UPA could be ousted from the Centre, AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on ThÂuÂrsday said the party woÂuld fight the 2014 ParÂliament poll on the plank of peace, prosperity and progress.
“The train called AIAÂDMK is now Fort St.GeÂorge Express (state secretariat). You should make it reach the Red Fort,” she told the packed audience at the AIADMK exeÂcÂutive and general council held at suburban VanÂaÂgaram.
Slamming the ConÂgress-led UPA governmÂent, Jayalalithaa said it had been repeatedly taking revenge on the TN people by a 'step-motherly' attitude because they gave the AIADMK a strÂong mandate in the 2011 assembly elections. TheÂre were several such insÂtances, such as the ‘strÂuggles’ in getting the CaÂuÂvery final award notified in the Central gazÂeÂtte, she said.
The UPA regime deseÂrved to be “thrown out” and there was a need for a government that treated TN as a “partner” in naÂÂtional growth and one that extends a haÂnd of friendship.
“This (UPA) is an anti-people government and the gifts it has given to the people of the country are unprecedented corruption, soaring inflation, family politics, threats from neighbours and repeated hike in prices of petrol and diesel.”
India under the UPA was unable to handle foreign affairs, so much so that not only the big countries like China but even the small ones like Sri Lanka and Myanmar were intimidating the country and a “weak” government was unable to handle the situation, she alleged.
“A strong leadership is required at the Centre. A powerful Central government will ensure that such issues do not arise,” she said, adding, “And so the party has to stand alone and win all 40 seÂats. That is our aim.”
When reporters asked her later about her party members projecting her as a PM candidate, JayaÂlalithaa said, “The caÂdres have expressed their feelings,” and she had noÂtÂhing to say.
Sale of application forms for aspiring Lok Sabha poll contestants begins
Chennai: A large number of AIADMK members incÂluding ministers who descended upon party headquarters here have filed applications seeking party supremo and chief minister JayaÂlaÂÂlÂitÂhaa to contest in the Lok Sabha seats falÂling in their home districts.
A large number of party members turned up about a couple of hoÂurs ahead of the scheduled 10 am when the sale of application foÂrms began at the AIAÂDMK headquarters heÂre on Thursday. Many who had come from various districts had filed the papers on behalf of their party supremo.
State ministers inclÂuding O. PanneÂerseÂlvÂam, K.P. Munusamy, Natham R. ViswÂanaÂthÂan, Vaithilingam, B. ValÂaÂÂrmathi, M.C. SamÂpath and Poonachi had submitted the forms on behalf of JayaÂlalÂithaa.
The election application forms for candidates would be sold till December 27 priced at Rs 25,000 each. JayalÂalithaa had already urÂged her cadres to strive for victory in all the 39 Lok SaÂbha seats in the state and the lone seat in PuÂdÂucherry.
