The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s objective of capturing 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the general elections and making Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa Prime Minister reverberated again on Monday at an event to mark the 25th death anniversary of the party founder and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.
Organising secretary P.H. Pandian, who was the only speaker on the occasion, called upon his colleagues to strive hard to make party victorious in all the constituencies and pave the way for Ms. Jayalalithaa to become the Prime Minister.
A pledge administered by treasurer and Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam ended with a call to the AIADMK cadre to resolve that Ms. Jayalalithaa would head the next government and that she would get the authority to determine the future of India.
In the last couple of months, the party held consultative meetings parliamentary constituency-wise and the message was the same: work hard to bag all 40 and brighten the chances of Ms. Jayalalithaa emerging as a strong contender for Prime Ministership.
The Chief Minister, along with her Cabinet colleagues and senior leaders, took the pledge at a podium specially put up outside the mausoleum of the former Chief Minister on the Marina here. Earlier, she laid a wreath at the mausoleum.
Among other issues covered by the 18-point pledge were: Ms Jayalalithaa’s opposition to the Union government’s decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail trade; her steps on the Cauvery dispute and her “relentless efforts” in overcoming the problem of power shortage.
Mr. Pandian praised the Chief Minister for getting the MGR mausoleum renovated on a par with those of many world leaders.
He also commended her for accomplishing what even MGR could not — driving the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam out of Chennai politically.
Before getting down from the podium, Ms Jayalalithaa, in her characteristic way, greeted a large gathering of her party members, much to the loud cheers from the crowd.
