'DMK taking State on path of destruction'

By Suresh Nambath

MADURAI, APRIL 18. Immediately after filing her nomination for the Andipatti constituency at the Theni district collectorate today, the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, launched her election campaign for the Assembly polls by accusing the DMK of having taken the State down the ``path of destruction.''

Even as she sought a vote for progress and prosperity, Ms. Jayalalitha hit out at the Karunanidhi Government for encouraging ``secessionist and extremist forces'' and ignoring the interests of the poor and the downtrodden.

Claiming that her ``political enemies'' had hatched a conspiracy to prevent her from contesting the polls, the AIADMK leader declared that irrespective of the cases against her, the ultimate verdict would be the verdict of the people. Asking the people to ``put and end'' to the 5-year DMK rule, she said she had full faith in the electorate.

Ms. Jayalalitha claimed that several of the schemes meant for the poorer sections were mismanaged by the State Government in the last five years. Both the public distribution system and the free saris and dhotis scheme were marred by irregularities and scams.

Besides, the law and order situation had deteriorated in the State, and illicit liquor was flowing everywhere, she said.

Moving from Theni, the venue of her campaign launch, to Andipatti, where she is contesting, Ms. Jayalalitha constantly stressed on the fact that the constituency had returned MGR as Chief Minister in 1984. She was contesting from the same constituency that made MGR the Chief Minister because she knew the voters would back her the same way they had backed him. ``After seeing the crowds, I am confident of victory,'' she told those who had lined up along her campaign route in Andipatti. Repeatedly invoking the name of MGR, she tried to emphasise the theme that she was contesting with the blessings of the AIADMK founder.

She said she was asking for support for the `Two Leaves' the AIADMK election symbol which had been turned into a `victory symbol' by MGR.

Ms. Jayalalitha garlanded an MGR statue and hoisted a party flag in Andipatti constituency. And though she did not step out of her campaign vehicle in most other places, she let women volunteers do `aarthi.' She also allowed some women to bring their children to her for naming. However, late in the evening, the rains cut short her campaign and she returned to Madurai.

Earlier, just before noon, Ms. Jayalalitha started from Madurai and drove to the Theni collectorate where she submitted her nomination papers to the returning officer, Ms. S. Jaya, who is the backward classes and minorities welfare officer.

As in Krishnagiri, the AIADMK fielded a dummy candidate, Mr. Thanga-tamizhselvan, a students wing leader.

All the senior leaders of the party accompanied Ms. Jayalalitha to the collectorate. She was welcomed to the beat of drums by a party `arts and entertainment' group. After filing her papers, Ms. Jayalalitha switched to her campaign vehicle and canvassed support for the Theni candidate, Mr. R.D. Ganesan.

Later, she moved on to Andipatti for an intensive campaigning driving through interior roads and stopping at several points. Tomorrow, she is scheduled to address several public meetings apart from roadside canvassing of votes from her campaign vehicle.

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Section  : Southern States
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