AIADMK kicks off 'achievement rallies' across TN

Chennai: Virtually sounding the poll bugle, ruling AIADMK on Wednesday launched its achievement rallies across Tamil Nadu ahead of Assembly elections expected in April.

Party wing 'Amma Peravai' is tasked with carrying out the awareness on the achievements of the Jayalalithaa-led government since it came to power in 2011.

The rallies, aimed at reaching out to the 5.62 crore strong electorate spread over 65,616 polling stations across the state, seek to secure 100 per cent victory for the party by explaining its government's development schemes and visionary plans.

The rallies were launched here by AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan and Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy and by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai in Karur.

The launch was also done simultaneously by ministers, mayors, office-bearers of Amma Peravai, MPs, and MLAs across the state.

Party supremo and chief minister Jayalalithaa had in August last year asked party workers to reach out to all the voters and announced that the mammoth task would be carried out by the Amma Peravai.

AIAMDK has also launched dozens of street-corner and public meetings in districts including Kancheepuram and Vellore to do a recall of welfare schemes including freebies.

Meanwhile, a day after DMK chief Karunanidhi blamed the AIADMK regime over release of waters from Chembarambakkam Reservoir in an agitation, the ruling party on Wednesday dubbed his claims as lies and rumour mongering.

An article in AIADMK mouthpiece 'Dr Namadhu MGR' assailed the DMK for treating the torrential rains and resultant floods as a political opportunity.

Presiding over a protest demonstration here yesterday, Karunandhi had alleged that the state's failure to open the Chembarambakkam reservoir on time had caused flooding (in Chennai) and demanded a judicial probe into the episode.

Karunanidhi staging lies is a habit that did not come to him now, also in 1985, he grabbed the Madurantakkam Lake issue and tried to (politically) harm Puratchi Thalaivar MGR, it is history that he failed in doing that, the article said. Like today, he tried to plant rumour and do jugglery (then), and he is doing it now too (by spreading) deceitful lies in the name of Chembarambakkam Reservoir, it said.

PTI