Jayalalithaa takes swipes at DMK on spectrum scam

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Saturday asserted that her party will achieve a landslide victory in the May 16 assembly election.

In a letter to party cadres, Jayalalithaa recalled her campaign meetings which started in Chennai on April 9 and ended in Tirunelveli on May 12. She thanked the people for turning up in large numbers at the meetings.

"The enthusiastic welcome given by lakhs of men and women has made me happy. Looking at the overwhelming response to the meetings, I feel the party will achieve a landslide victory. I thank the people for showering their affection," Jayalalithaa said in the letter to the party cadres on the last day of campaigning.

Attacking DMK chief M Karunanidhi and his family for their alleged involvement in the 2G scam and poor maintenance of law and order during the DMK regime, Jayalalithaa said, "Following the big victory in 2011, I took steps to restore law and order in the state and thereby safeguard your lives and property."

The chief minister also recalled steps taken by her to settle the Cauvery waters and Mullaperiyar dam issues by approaching the Supreme Court. "In the last five years, women empowerment was given importance by implementing several schemes for them and 50 per cent of seats were reserved for women in local bodies. Police and other departments functioned independently without any political interference," she said.

Recalling the welfare measures taken by the AIADMK government, she said laptops were distributed to students thereby bridging the urbanrural gap with regard to information technology. "There are more such welfare measures listed in the party manifesto and for me to complete all these, cadres must vote for the two leaves symbol in the coming election," she said.

The AIADMK chief wanted party cadres to be alert during polling and counting and prevent any attempts by the opposition to derail the process. She asked voters in Puducherry and Kerala to give a mandate to the party.