Keeping her alliance options open for the Lok Sabha elections, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday called upon her party members to strive hard to make the party victorious in all the 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Addressing her party general council in a marriage hall on the outskirts, Ms. Jayalalithaa referred to a resolution adopted earlier at the council meeting, which authorised her to take all decisions regarding the Lok Sabha elections, and assured her party colleagues that she would take a call, keeping in mind the interests of the AIADMK.
The resolution, moved by Local Administration Minister and the party’s Krishnagiri district secretary K.P. Munusamy, stated that even though it was the aim of the party to go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections and capture all the 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Ms. Jayalalithaa had been authorised to take all decisions, including on forming a coalition.
Guiding force
“When we meet here for the next general council meeting in December 2014, the AIADMK should be the guiding force for the nation,” she said, amid applause of the party members.
Referring to the party’s victory in the Yercaud by-election, she said even if the party workers’ campaign had been a low-key affair, the party would have won the seat with a difference of 20,000 to 25,000 votes.
But, members and functionaries of the party and Ministers had worked wholeheartedly and intensely. Hence “we have achieved the landslide victory with 78,116 votes.”
In a brief interaction with the media after the council meeting, the Chief Minister said it was the wish of her party members that she should occupy the post of Prime Minister and she did not want to say anything about it now.
On the alliance issue, she replied that it would be decided “when the time comes.”
