Voters of the Pennagaram assembly constituency should reject the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the by-election slated for Saturday, to facilitate a regime change in the State, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Jayalalithaa said on Tuesday.
Launching the second-day of her campaign from here [about 60 km from the Dharmapuri town], Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Pennagaram by-poll should become the turning point [of the State politics] and the voters should teach DMK president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi a fitting lesson. The family rule should be brought to an end.
Accusing the ruling party of neglecting the constituency, Ms. Jayalalithaa said all the fancy announcements being made by the DMK, would remain only on paper once the election was over. The people of Pennagaram were suffering from want of basic amenities.
Harping on the theme of lack of development in the constituency, the AIADMK leader, who came here from Salem by 4.40 p.m., said the people had to migrate to other States and districts for livelihood. Severe water shortage and power cut had brought farming operations to a halt.
She contended that the resources of the State were being looted. She also had a dig at the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), with whom her party aligned during the Lok Sabha elections in May 2009. She criticised the PMK president G.K. Mani for having failed to nurse the constituency despite getting elected twice.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said if the AIADMK returned to power in the next Assembly election, water resources in the area would be improved. Industries would be set up.
Several AIADMK leaders such as M. Thambidurai, S. Muthusamy and K.A. Sengottaiyan were part of her campaign trail. A large number of people turned up in Perumpalai, Chinnapatti and Koppalur to watch her campaign.
