Two days after V.K. Sasikala took over as the AIADMK General Secretary, senior party leader and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai on Monday “appealed” to her to take charge as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, as he contended that leadership of the party and government should be with the same person for the welfare of the people.
“The unfinished tasks of the party and the government, as expected by Puratchi Thalaivi Amma[Jayalalithaa], will be completed only when the leadership of the party and the leadership of the government are in the hand of one person,” Mr. Thambidurai, also party’s propaganda secretary, said in a release.
Claiming that people in the country have “not accepted” the situation where the leadership of the party and the government was not with the same person, he said the government has focused its attention and fulfilled the election promises, when the same person was both the head of the party as well as the government.
“History has shown that some governments had been pushed to several hurdles and were incapable of delivering its promises and that, such Governments have lost their credibility among the people, when the leadership of the party and the leadership of the government was in the hands of two different persons,” Mr. Thambidurai pointed out.
In view of the Parliamentary elections due in two years, AIADMK had to function effectively to get the wholehearted support of the people, it was imperative for Ms. Sasikala to “immediately take over” the leadership of the government, as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, he said.
Ms. Sasikala had the “intelligence, capacity and love for the people, love for the party workers and care for the party cadres”, as party’s former chief Jayalalithaa and it was his “strong belief” that the AIADMK general secretary has to shoulder the responsibility of the Chief Minister to take forward the party and to carry on the governance of the State.
Referring to Ms. Sasikala’s maiden speech on Saturday last as the party’s general secretary, Mr. Thambi Durai said it had “melted the hearts of all” and the points she had raised in her address have made them “feel happy that the task of taking forward the Party has been handed over to the right person.” He further registered the “unshakeable faith and confidence” that the leadership of Ms. Sasikala alone would continue to implement several welfare schemes for Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Thambidurai’s statement on Monday joins the chorus of several other party functionaries, who have openly declared their support for Ms. Sasikala to become the Chief Minister.
Here is the full text of the statement:
The Address made by Respected Chinnamma, for the Party Cadres, immediately after assuming the General Secretaryship of the AIADMK Party, has melted the hearts of all of us. The points in the Address of Respected Chinnamma, with all sincerity and responsibility, have made us feel happy that the task of taking forward the Party has been handed over to the right person. Perarignar Anna had established the Dravidian Movement around the views expressed by Thanthai Periyar, for protecting the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu, for honouring the old and rich traditions of the Tamil language and for creating democratic governance. Thus, Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma carried on the political journey started by Perarignar Anna. We were very happy that the First Address of Respected Chinnamma has created confidence in the minds of all of us that the political journey, started by Perarignar Anna and followed by Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma, will be taken forward for several generations from now.
When we were very anxious and worried as to what would happen to the Party and to the crores and crores of Party cadres after the sad demise of Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma, who was the General Secretary of the Party for 27 long years, Respected Chinnamma has come to rescue all of us, as a Light-House. Likewise, all of us have the unshakeable faith and confidence that the leadership of Respected Chinnamma alone would continue to implement several welfare schemes for the people of Tamil Nadu that were initiated by Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma. At the same time, we have seen that people in India have not accepted the situation where the leadership of the Party is in one hand and the leadership of the Government is in another hand; and that, the Government has focused its attention on its single goal and fulfilled the election promises made to the people, when the leadership of both the Party and the Government was in one person's hand. The past history has shown that some Governments had been pushed to several hurdles and was incapable of delivering its promises and that, such Governments have lost their credibility among the people, when the leadership of the Party and the leadership of the Government was in the hands of two different persons.
Several hundred persons like me, who have been closely associated with Respected Chinnamma for the last 33 years, for political reasons, for the reasons of election campaigning and for Party administration, knew the intelligence and political acumen of Respected Chinnamma; and above all, we know that she has been able to think the same way as Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma thinks; and we also knew very well that Respected Chinnamma has the capability to take decisions without any likes or dislikes. An example of this is, in the Address that Respected Chinnamma has made, after taking charge as the General Secretary of the Party :-- "We will follow the political preaching of our Amma and her footsteps as Vedas. The movement administered by Amma is people's movement; this Government is people's Government; the path shown by her is our path; we will make our journey in the path shown by her. For the love shown by all of you, in unanimously electing me as the General Secretary of the Party and for the confidence that all of you have reposed in me, I shall sacrifice the rest of my life. We will follow our rich traditions and culture, in Amma's way." The unfinished tasks of the Party and the Government, as expected by Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma, will be completed only when the leadership of the Party and the leadership of the Government are in the hand of one person.
When the country is going to face Parliamentary election in two years, our Party AIADMK has to function very effectively to get the wholehearted support of the people, and to continue to win the election, as was done by Puratchi Thalaivar and Puratchi Thalaivi, I emphatically request that Respected Chinnamma has to immediately take over the leadership of the Government, as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Respected Chinnamma has the intelligence, capacity and love for the people, love for the Party workers and care for the Party cadres, as Puratchi Thalaivi Hon'ble Amma had; and it is my strong belief that it is very important that Respected Chinnamma has to shoulder the responsibility of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, to take forward the Party and to carry on the governance of Tamil Nadu, for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. I humbly appeal to Respected Chinnamma to take charge as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu immediately, by acceding to the wishes and requests of Party workers and cadres like me.
DR. M. THAMBI DURAI
Propaganda Secretary, AIADMK Party
Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha
