Jayalalithaa, AIADMK leaders pay tributes to MGR

Chennai, Dec 24: Tributes were paid to AIADMK founder and former matinee idol M G Ramachandran today on his 28th death anniversary with party supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa leading the supporters in remembering the late leader.

In the customary pledge-taking held at the memorial of the party founder, popularly known as MGR among his fans and supporters, at Marina here, the ruling party also vowed to work towards winning the coming Assembly elections and enable Jayalalithaa continue with her "good rule".

Flanked by senior party leaders including AIADMK Treasurer and Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, Jayalalithaa paid floral tributes at the memorial of the late Chief Minister. Later, Panneerselvam read out the pledge, which was repeated by senior functionaries including MPs and MLAs.

In the pledge, the party took a dig at arch-rival DMK without naming it and vowed to reach out to the people of the state with the welfare schemes being implemented by the Jayalalithaa government which it said was catering to all sections of society.

"We undertake to work hard with the blessings of Puratchi Thalaivar (Revolutionary Leader-Ramachandran) for a massive win for AIADMK in the elections and ensure that the good rule under Amma (Jayalalithaa) continues," it said. Elections to the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly are due next year.

The party also patted Jayalalithaa over flood relief activities, saying she had taken up restoration on 'war-footing.' A charismatic cinema superstar who was initially a DMK member, Ramachandran later floated AIADMK in 1972 following his rift with DMK President M Karunanidhi and first captured power in 1977.

The party soon became a formidable rival to DMK and since then, Tamil Nadu politics has been virtually polarised between these two parties who alone have been on the ruling saddle alternately.

PTI