Chief of All India N. R Congress (AINRC) and former Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Sunday said former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa never nurtured any animosity towards him.
Mr. Rangasamy was responding to Congress leaders’ statement that Ms. Jayalalithaa had termed AINRC chief a ‘traitor,’ after he refused to include AIADMK legislators in his ministry following the 2011 Assembly elections.
Launching his campaign for AINRC candidate K. Narayanasamy from Kalapet, the former Chief Minister said “Ms. Jayalalitha had “only scolded me out of affection. She never nurtured any animosity towards me. When I was Congress Chief Minister, I know against whom she had ill feelings.”
Ms. Jayalalithaa was upset that the alliance between AINRC and AIADMK did not continue. If the alliance had continued, the Congress would not have come to power, he said.
Responding to the charge that AINRC had fielded “a rich and an inexperienced youngster,” the party founder leader said youngsters would never come into mainstream politics if politicians developed such a mindset towards new comers.
“Our candidate is the owner of a medical college. If our candidate is rich, so is Congress candidate Vaithilingam,” he said.
Power struggle
In a scathing attack on Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Mr. Rangasamy said the power struggle between the Chief Minister and Lt Governor had paralysed the administration in the Union Territory.
The Chief Minister in order to hide his “failures,” often tried to shift the blame on the Lt. Governor and the principal Opposition party.
The Chief Minister who had held ministerial positions at the Centre was fully aware of the limitations of an elected government in the UT. Even after knowing fully well that the power rests with the Lt. Governor, the Chief Minister tried to engage in a war of words with the titular head instead of focussing on governance.
Expressing confidence in the victory of the AINRC candidate, the former Chief Minister said the National Democratic Alliance would secure more than 300 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. He said it was certain that Narendra Modi would return as the Prime Minister of the country.
AIADMK legislative party leader A. Anbalagan and BJP local unit president and nominated legislator V. Saminathan were present.