Jayalalithaa justifies delay in release of manifesto

Campaigning for the AIADMK candidates of Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts, Jayalalithaa on Sunday accepted the charges of the opposition parties that the AIADMK manifesto gave only freebies. Opposition parties including the DMK have nothing to tell the people about their achievements. But AIADMK had too many and the government had brought out several programmes for the people in the past five years, Jayalalithaa said. 

Countering the charge by the opposition parties about the announcement of freebie distribution in the election manifesto, the AIADMK chief said, “Yes, it is true. AIADMK is the party for the poor. We are committed to do welfare for the poor people and will continue to do good,” she said. 

Meanwhile, she pointed out when AIADMK made priceless rice distribution after coming to power in 2011, DMK chief M Karunanidhi claimed that the DMK was also planning such a free rice scheme. The officials then objected saying that it would not be possible. But the same officials were supporting AIADMK’s plan. “We made a clear study with the officials and they supported the plan as they were aware of the vision of AIADMK”, Jayalalithaa stressed. “We have not only discussed and planned 100 times but a 1,000 times”, she said.

Earlier, she charged that DMK was behind the methane extraction in Cauvery delta and AIADMK was the only party that supported the farmers and recalled how she fought to get the Cauvery tribunal verdict published in the gazette.