While Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, is eyeing a bigger role for her party in formation of a government in the Centre after the general elections to the Lok Sabha, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam treasurer M.K. Stalin is attempting to portray her as an unreliable ally.
Addressing a public meeting at Srivilliputtur on Sunday, he said that the biggest achievement of Ms. Jayalalithaa as part of the National Democratic Alliance Government was pulling down the Vajpayee Government within 13 months.
Mr. Stalin was responding to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s charges that the DMK, which was part of the United Progressive Alliance Government for 10 years, did nothing in the interest of the people of Tamil Nadu.
“She made it tough for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance by delaying in handing over the letter of support to the alliance for forming the Government,” he said, quoting from a book authored by former Finance Minister, Yaswant Sinha.
Later, she toppled the NDA Government within 13 months of its existence.
“It was not in the interest of the people of the State, but in her own interest of laying conditions for protecting herself from the cases booked against her,” he charged.
Mr. Stalin recalled that the DMK, being part of the UPA, was instrumental in declaring Tamil as a classical language, allocation of Rs. 1,553 crore for expansion of Salem Steel Plant and ensuring 27 per cent reservation for backward classes in Central Government jobs among others.
However, all the good Ms. Jayalalithaa did being part of the NDA was only imposing a huge expenditure of Rs. 3,500 crore on taxpayers money by way of forcing another election on the country, he recalled amid applause from the crowd.
