Jaya blames EC for party voting in Prez polls

Chennai, July 19: Accusing the Election Commission of creating unnecessary fear and panic, AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today claimed that her party MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the Presidential election on their own to avoid 'undesirable consequences' and 'not due to any other reason.'

In a statement here, she said in the absence of any instruction from her and in the wake of the EC's 'sudden' press note in the late evening of July 17, her party MPs and MLAs discussed the matter among themselves and decided to take part in the election process.

''Being unable to comprehend the ramifications of the EC's wholly avoidable note, the AIADMK MPs and MLAs discussed the matter and came to the conclusion that they would have to face undesirable consequences if they did not cast their vote, and so, by way of abundant caution, they themselves decided to cast their votes in the Presidential election,'' Ms Jayalalithaa said.

Pleading ignorance, she said since she had decided to abstain from voting, she went out of the city early today and only when she returned in the afternoon, she came to know what had transpired in her absence.

UNI