Campaign as if I am candidate in all seats: Jayalalitha tells party

As a last-minute energy booster for the party cadres, AIADMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa urged them to campaign as if she is the candidate in all the assembly constituencies.

Tamil Nadu goes to polls on May 16.

In a letter to the party cadres on Friday, Jayalalithaa urged the party cadres to work hard with the feeling that she is standing as the candidate in all the 234 assembly constituencies in the state.

The AIADMK is going to the polls aligning with a couple of smaller outfits.

The AIADMK has fielded its candidates in 227 seats and the balance seven have been given to its allies.

This is the first time in the party's history that the AIADMK is contesting in more than 200 seats.

Though the allies have been given only seven seats, they will contest under AIADMK's "two leaves" symbol. Thus, for the first time, the AIADMK symbol will be seen in all the 234 constituencies.

In her letter, Jayalalithaa urged the cadres to tell the people that the DMK-Congress combine will inflict harm on the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils.

She said if the family politics as propagated by DMK finds firm roots in Tamil Nadu, it would impact an individual's freedom. She asked the AIADMK members to remind people how a single family dominated the movie, cricket, media, television world between 2006-2011.

Jayalalithaa also asked the AIADMK cadres to explain to the people her government's short- and long-term welfare measures and also the party's poll promises like free cell phones to all ration card holders, 50 percent subsidy for purchase of scooters by women and free power up to 100 units.

--IANS

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