Jaya hits out at BJP, DMK

POONAMALLEE, AUG 1: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary J Jayalalitha today kicked off her party's campai...

POONAMALLEE, AUG 1: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary J Jayalalitha today kicked off her party’s campaign trail for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections with an attack on what she called `evil forces’ the BJP at the Centre and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.Addressing a party meeting here, she said these forces had come together in these elections, and charged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with ignoring the State’s `just demands.

Defending her decision to break the party’s ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she said she had sought support for the BJP in the 1998 elections to bring about a stable and good Government at the Centre. However, after assuming office as Prime Minister, Vajpayee had betrayed not only the AIADMK but also the people of Tamil Nadu. He paid no heed to the State’s demands the Cauvery issue, 69 per cent reservation issue, making Tamil the official language and allocation of funds for the Sethu Samudram project.

She said the BJP was acommunal force which had endangered national security. The Centre had even allowed infiltration across the border into Kargil, she said.

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Jayalalitha said the only achievement of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was imprisoning her. The problems of farmers, weavers and fishermen were not solved. She appealed to the people to reject the NDA candidates and vote for the AIADMK Front.

Over 100 cars formed part of Jayalalitha’s convoy as she left Chennai. She made a brief address at Porur before reaching Poonamallee.

Together on the campaign trail

CHENNAI: When Jayalalitha’s campaign van rolled out of her Poes Garden residence, it was Sasikala who first caught media attention.

Seated behind Jayalalitha, Sasikala, sporting a broad smile, waved out to the partymen waiting with camphor, coconuts, pumpkins et al to greet their `Puratchi Thalaivi’.

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Dressed in a bright green printed saree, Chinnamma’s attire matched her soulmate Jayalalitha’s green synthetic saree.

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