Jaya goes back to her roots

AIADMK chief Jayaram Jayalalithaa has gone back to her grandmother’s home this election season to secure her seat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Srirangam, the semi-rural small town, is suddenly buzzing with activity, as a top politician has decided to fight the April 13 elections from the seat which has 218,000 voters. This is the first time that Jayalalithaa, leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, is fighting elections from Srirangam. Last time, her constituency was Andipatti. two districts away.

“It is a matter of pride for us that Jayalalithaa has decided to fight elections from Srirangam. Earlier, the town was only popular for its temples but now suddenly a lot people are coming to this town because of the elections,” said N Kaliamurthy, a retired school master and a native of Srirangam.

Her supporters have launched a door-to-door campaign to gather support for Amma, as she is fondly called by them. The AIADMK leader, however, could visit Srirangam just once during the campaign, as she is busy touring other parts of the DMK-ruled state.

“This town is very strategically located and we are confident that Jayalalithaa will win from here. First, it is her ancestral town and so people are happy to welcome her back. Second, this place is close to the airport in Tiruchirapalli, so we expect to see Jayalalithaa more frequently once she becomes the chief minister,” said K Thiruvengdum, a local retired police officer.

“We are working very hard and I believe she is going to sweep the elections not just in Srirangam but in the entire state. There is a wave in her favour, and no one can stop her from becoming the chief minister,” said P Kumar, a party MP, who is personally supervising the campaigning of the party chief.