Jaya launches campaign, seeks vote on her performance

Chennai: AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday launched her campaign for the May 16 Assembly election by highlighting her government's performance and sought votes to continue what she called "such remarkable achievements."

Launching her election campaign at the Island Grounds, she said her government had fulfilled all the poll promises made in her party's manifesto in 2011.

She listed out freebie schemes like distribution of mixies, grinders, milch cows, goats, and ending power cuts. "Even schemes that you did not imagine were implemented like Amma canteen, Amma cement, Amma salt, pharmacies, farm fresh outlets and Amma maternity sanjeevi scheme.

"Do you remember those days of long power cuts which affected students and the industries," she said, adding that now TN has attained self-sufficiency in power production and there is uninterrupted power supply to all user segments to continue such remarkable, great achievements vote for AIADMK.

She said many such schemes would be implemented if her government is voted to power again.

A beaming Jayalalithaa flashed the party's two leaves symbol as soon as she arrived to a rousing welcome by party workers and said her life is dedicated for the growth and joy of the people.

The stage for the first mega public meeting was adorned with a giant two-leaves image of AIADMK, with a portrait of Jayalalithaa in the middle. A flex board with her image alongside party founder M G Ramachandran formed the backdrop to the meeting.

The well-lit venue with colourful lights was decorated with cut-outs (flex-boards) of Jayalalithaa.

Earlier, she was given a rousing welcome by party workers and supporters who flocked both sides of the roads to greet her. While some had "poornakumbam" on their hands (coconut in a pot laced with mango leaves, a symbol of goodness and victory), others waved flags of AIADMK.

Jayalalithaa's first rally for the coming poll and her address was telecast live in all 21 constituencies in and around Chennai in as many as 75 specially designed propaganda vans of the AIADMK with giant LED screens.

Such vans were stationed in vantage locations like markets and busy intersections as early as in the morning.

The screens flashed the achievements of the AIADMK regime and also ran old popular film songs of MGR and Jayalalithaa.