Jayalalitha on image-saving mode; consoles allies in meeting

Chennai, Mar 19: The political scenario in Tamil Nadu continues to take dramatic turns ahead of crucial assembly polls. While ruling party is entangled with 2G spectrum, A Raja and recent Sadiq Batcha suicide fiasco, main opposition party AIADMK has created trouble for itself by announcing candidates list without consulting its allies. But now it seems that the party is busy in image saving mode.

After citing enough protest and rage among allies, AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha on Friday, Mar 18 met the leaders of MNMK, SMK, AIMMK, RPI, TNKYF, Communist Party of India (CPI) and FB and finalised 19 seats for the allies in the Apr 13 assembly elections.

After the meeting with Jayalalitha, CPI's State Secretary D Pandian stated, "We had identified the list of constituencies and it was agreed to."

Sources also informed that AIADMK is willing to accommodate the Vaiko-led MDMK by offering it 15 seats, up from nine offered earlier. However, MDMK source, on the condition of anonymity, informed that the party would decide its course of action today (Saturday, Mar 19) at its district secretaries' meeting.

Jayalalitha tempted the allies after releasing a list of candidates and constituencies counting to 160 that ignored the allies leading to major agitation among them. he Opposition allies cried foul and went on a rampage at the treatment meted out by Jayalalithaa's AIADMK snub towards them.

The snub was also meted out to the MDMK who had partnered with Jayalalitha for long and had contested from 35 constituencies together with AIADMK last elections. This time around they were given a single-digit offer that they saw as a cold-shoulder attitude.

OneIndia News