Jubilant AIADMK vows to secure massive win in civic polls

Chennai: Riding high on its consecutive victories in Tamil Nadu assembly polls, the AIADMK executive committee on Saturday vowed to secure a massive win in local body elections, expected to be held in October.

The executive meet resolved to work according to the road map set by AIADMK chief and chief minister J Jayalalithaa for the civic polls in the state.

The meet was attended by Jayalalithaa and presided by party presidium chairman E Madusudanan.

"This executive committee takes a vow to bag a massive victory in the coming local body elections," a resolution adopted in the meet said.

It said the victory would be presented as a gift to Jayalalithaa "by following her poll strategies and instructions who is leading the party on a path of consecutive electoral victories."

A resolution lauded Jayalalithaa for becoming Chief Minister for the sixth time and thanked her and the people for ensuring the party's victory in the May 16 Assembly election.

Also, she was praised for implementing electoral promises like free power of 100 units to households, enacting a legislation (in previous tenure) providing 50 per cent quota for women in local bodies and announcing an aid package to farmers for Kuruvai crop.

Other resolutions urged the Centre to take steps to raise water storage level in Mullaiperiyar dam to 152 feet, implement a plan to link rivers of South India, stop "harassment" of Tamil Nadu fishermen at the hands of Sri Lanka.

The central government was also urged to constitute the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee immediately and to release pending and new funds to the state for implementing welfare schemes.

In aggregate, 14 resolutions were moved by Madusudanan and seconded by all executive members, one of which thanked Jayalalithaa for taking up state's issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in her recent meet with him.

 After the executive meet, Jayalalithaa addressed a meeting of party MLAs.

A condolence resolution passed separately expressed grief at the passing away of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Syed, CPI top leader A B Baradhan and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma.

It also condoled the passing away of 100 others, which includes party functionaries and personalities of Tamil Nadu from different walks of life, including Jayalalithaa's school teacher Catherine Simon and Tiruparankundram MLA-elect S M Seenivel.

Stopping short of condemning the central government, an AIADMK resolution said it was not fair on the Centre's part to not release thousands of crores of rupees (to Tamil Nadu), and claimed it tantamount to "injustice" to the people.

The resolution, among others, referred to a comprehensive Rs 1,520 crore financial package for deep sea fishing and related infrastructure development and Rs 1,500 crore for textile development from the Centre.

It also referred to "Rs 576.37 crore pending from the Centre for Sarva Siksha Abhyan (2015-16)."

Besides it sought from the Centre Rs 1,167.69 crore to Tamil Nadu for its contribution towards SC, ST scholarship for students and urged release of pending portion of funds from the 13th Finance Commission recommendations.