A State Government compatible to the Congress Government at the Centre would augur well for implementing major schemes involving expenditure of several thousands of crore of rupees, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Monday.
Addressing cadres of Congress, DMK and other alliance parties at a meeting to seek support for the Tirumayam Assembly seat candidate and sitting Congress MLA Rama Subburam, Mr. Chidambaram sought support based on his performance.
The Home Minister ridiculed the AIADMK stating that it had unabashedly lifted the ideas from the DMK manifesto.
He termed Ms. Jayalalithaa's action akin to a student copying in an examination. Studious students write exams on their own and there are some who make some modifications while copying for fear of teachers, but in the case of Ms. Jayalalithaa, she had copied the schemes from the DMK manifesto verbatim, Mr. Chidambaram said.
He called upon the Election Commission to exercise caution while monitoring campaigning by partymen in rural parts as banners, festoons and wall writings were permitted in panchayats.
Mr. Chidambaram was appreciative of the schemes implemented by the DMK government in the last five years, and observed that the Chief Minister epitomised hard work.
The Congress government in its seven years of reign was able to ensure economic growth of 8.5 per cent.
Voters were capable of deciding who will implement schemes, he said.