PUDUCHERRY: AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa projected N Rangasamy, the president of the All India NR Congress, as the chief ministerial candidate for the AIADMK-led alliance in the Union Territory.
Addressing a massive election rally at the AFT Grounds here on Tuesday, she said it was the duty of the people to defeat the Congress-led government supported by DMK, which, she alleged, had neither bothered about the Union Territory’s development nor fulfilled the basic requirements of the people. She appealed to them to vote the AIADMK-led front, comprising the AINRC, the DMDK and the CPI, to power.
She blamed the Congress government for its failure to check price rise, including that of construction materials, over the last two years. She charged that this was due to the wrong policies of the government.
She further faulted the Congress government for its failure to enhance agricultural production and industrial development, and called upon people to think whether such a government was required.
The UPA government, led by the Congress, was fighting scams involving the Commonwealth Games, the 2G spectrum, the Adarsh housing and the IPL, Jayalalithaa said. Corruption was rampant in Puducherry too, in which the DMK was hand in glove in it.
She highlighted the role played by the AIADMK in raising issues affecting the people of Puducherry, including rain relief, safeguarding agricultural land obtained from the farmers for special economic zones, and enhancement of housing subsidy under the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Housing scheme.
Promising to set the UT on the path of development and fulfilling its basic needs, controlling prices of essential commodities and generating employment opportunities if the alliance was voted to power, she said the government would establish a separate education board, a medical college in Karaikal, computer sets for Class X students, regulation of fee at private schools, three per cent job reservation for the physically-challenged, raising the old age pension to `1,000, doubling the housing subsidy for SCs to `4 lakh and for converting huts to concrete houses to `3 lakh, providing quality houses for those affected by the tsunami, reservation for Muslims and Dalit Christians, and fufilling the power requirements.
Jayalalithaa introduced the AIADMK, AINRC, MDMK and CPI candidates contesting the elections as part of the alliance.
More than 5,000 people, mostly women, participated in the rally.