The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) treasurer M.K. Stalin on Monday described Chief Minister Jayalalithaa as a political leader “lacking in credibility”, and alleged that her past actions smacked of self-interest.
Campaigning in the city for DMK’s North Chennai candidate R. Girirajan, Mr. Stalin said though the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was part of the BJP-led NDA in 1998, she had delayed handing over her party’s letter of support to the President in favour of the BJP then.
“Later, she blackmailed A.B. Vajpayee’s government and insisted on dismissing the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. At one point she even accused L.K. Advani of suffering from selective amnesia,” he said.
Observing that Ms. Jayalalithaa’s politics was shaped by her personal ambitions, Mr. Stalin said, “She now showed the door for political parties that were part of the AIADMK alliance in the 2011 Assembly elections so that she could project herself as the Prime Minister of the country”. She also betrayed the Left parties after promising to withdraw her party candidates in their favour in constituencies of their choice, he remarked.
Mr. Stalin said there was a real disconnect between Ms. Jayalalithaa — flying from one spot to another all through her poll campaign so far — and the people of Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Stalin who was Chennai Mayor not long ago said it was under his tenure and later under Ma. Subramaniam of the DMK, the city was put on the path of progress through infrastructure development. “We planned 10 flyovers and completed nine within the stipulated time and never spent beyond the original allocation,” he said.
But sadly, Chennai today lacked in sanitation and garbage was mounting everywhere. “People are suffering from malaria, dengue and jaundice,” Mr. Stalin said, while ridiculing the city Corporation’s plan to release fishes in water bodies to eradicate the mosquito menace.
He listed the welfare measures implemented by the earlier DMK government for fishermen, including construction of houses to those who were victims of the tsunami.
