AIADMK wants next PM from Tamil Nadu, says Jaya is qualified

Chennai, Dec 20: Amid the 'Jaya for PM' chorus in the party ranks, ruling

on Thursday said its chief and

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was "qualified" for the top post and vowed to win all 40 seats in next Lok Sabha polls in the state and Puducherry to create a condition favourable to her.

In response, Jaya said, said it was her party cadres' wish and she was yet to decide whether to present herself as a prime ministerial candidate.

The party's key decision-making bodies, General Council and Executive, met under party presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan and adopted 16 resolutions in which it hailed Jayalalithaa for her "multi-faceted personality and skills".

AIADMK described Jayalalithaa as an "unparalleled patriot," while hailing her governance skills and said she was a leader who had gave equal respect to all languages and religions.

"She is qualified to make India a superpower. So, we vow to create the situation for that," the party said adding it will work to win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats.

Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats and Puducherry one.

While the party has decided to go it alone in all 40 seats, as already announced by Jayalalithaa herself, it still authorised her to decide on alliance.

Training its guns on arch rival DMK, AIADMK alleged Tamil Nadu had suffered in various areas including the Cauvery water-sharing and Mullaperiyar disputes due to DMK chief M Karunanidhi's "betrayal."

AIADMK repeated its charge that Karunanidhi had enacted a "drama" in 2009 by staging a fast demanding a ceasefire in Sri Lanka when the ethnic conflict was at its height and also criticised DMK on 2G spectrum scam in which its senior leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi are accused.

The party should work towards ensuring people boycotted Karunanidhi during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when he seeks votes, it resolved.

The party also attacked the Centre for trying to bring the Communal Violence Bill at the fag end of UPA's term by "side-stepping" the state's concerns and the fact that law and order situation was good in the state.

It also came down hard on UPA government for "ignoring" the feelings of Tamil people by attending CHOGM in Sri Lanka in November despite the state assembly twice adopting resolutions seeking India's complete boycott of the event.

AIADMK criticised the Centre for the power cut scenario, referring to Jayalalithaa's allegation that Tamil Nadu was facing 2500 mw shortage on account of lack of power generation from central units.

A total of 16 resolutions were adopted and the General Council and the Executive also praised Jayalalithaa's efforts on Sri Lankan Tamils and Cauvery issues, among others.

PTI