Guess what's in Amma's bag of goodies this time!

CHENNAI: Expect a big surprise from Amma this week. While the grapevine has it that the AIADMK is gift-wrapping motorbikes or air-conditioners as poll promises, sources say the manifesto is likely to have more than one freebie.
While all other political parties have released their election manifestos, the AIADMK has been keeping the guessing game on.Chief minister J Jayalalithaa has been holding back “the document of intrigue,“ as an insider puts it, for two reasons: To catch rivals unawares during the last lap of the poll race, and to ensure that some of the promises don't trigger legal questions. The manifesto may be out on May 2, 5 or 7, dates considered lucky for the AIADMK general secretary.
“There will be two or three big freebies in the manifesto," said a source privy to preliminary discussions before the first draft of the manifesto was presented to Jayalalithaa as early as in March. “But, frankly, only Amma knows what's in the final version of the document. But I am sure there will be a few things that will create a buzz.“
Outsmarting rivals in the game of populism comes naturally to Jayalalithaa. In 2011, when the DMK asked women to choose between a mixie or a grinder, Jayalalithaa outsmarted M Karunanidhi by promising both. This time, the DMK manifesto promises waiver of farm loans and smartphones for those who cannot afford one, while the DMDK-PWF alliance has offered half a litre of milk to families with children.
Jayalalithaa had entrusted the task of drafting the manifesto to a 14-member team headed by former finance minister C Ponnaiyan. Apparently not happy with the first draft, she handed it over to a few superannuated bureaucrats for inputs and improvement.
“Suggestions of a former intelligence officer were incorporated into the manifesto,“ said the source who vouched for the surprise element.
Jayalalithaa's rivals, meanwhile, appear to be unin terested in the suspense.
“I am told the AIADMK is likely to promise 200 units of free power to all, but freebies don't work any longer,“ DMK treasurer M K Stalin told TOI in a recent interview. He said the DMK would focus more on job creation and clean governance.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, too, felt goodies are passe.
“Voters want development programmes. Whatever (freebies) she announces won't hold good with voters this time,“ Anbumani said.
Two-wheeler as a poll promise may not sell, said Suresh Babu, who teaches economics at IIT Madras. “A better idea would be to empower people with entrepreneurial skills and opportunities,“ he said. Is Jayalalithaa listening?