Voting for BJP in local polls won't benefit people: Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Sunday said voting for national parties like the BJP in local body elections will not benefit the people.

She said the Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit and its central unit have been maintaining a dual stance on the issue of attacks on fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, while the union government was silent.

Campaigning for her party AIADMK's candidate A.P.R. Anthony Gracy for the mayoral election in Tuticorin, around 600 km from here, Jayalalithaa said: "Voting for national parties in local body elections will not fetch any benefit. As far as national parties are concerned, they have one leadership in Tamil Nadu and another in Delhi."

Citing the Sri Lankan Navy's attacks on the state's fishermen, Jayalalithaa said the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit says there should be a permanent solution for the problem.

Not mentioning BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's name, she said a leader was acting against the interests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by advising the Sri Lankan government not to return the fishing boats apprehended by it.

"The BJP has not even condemned him. The central government remains silent. Voting for a party with dual stance will not benefit the people of Tamil Nadu in any way," Jayalalithaa said.

She said her government was implementing various welfare programmes to protect people from rising prices due to the wrong economic policies of the central government.

Bypolls for the local bodies is slated for Sep 18. The DMK and some other parties have decided to boycott the elections.