Chennai:
Seems like the preparations for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu have started and AIADMK has taken the first step. After rubbishing reports that her party would have an alliance with the Congress for the coming Assembly polls, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa targeted arch rival and ruling party DMK claiming it has failed to curb price rise in the state.
Attacking the DMK ahead of the elections in the state, Jayalalithaa said that many members from the party have joined AIADMK in order to protest the ways of the ruling party in the state.
''Today 7,000 people have joined the party... this is only a sample of the discontent,'' said the AIADMK chief.
Although, events like these are common in the Dravidian heartland where poaching members from parties is an often seen trend, this move is seen as Jayalalithaa' s continuing efforts to motivate her cadre. But the problem of price rise that she claims to be fighting for, still continues to give sleepless nights to the common man.
''The DMK sells rice at one rupee a kilo, but vegetable costs hundred rupees,'' said one of the new joinees.
While, it seems that The AIADMK has found the election agenda. On the alliance front, there is still no clarity.
After a series of defeats in the Assembly bypolls and not an impressive performance in the last Lok Sabha polls, Jayalalithaa is yet to firm up her alliances. Her former ally, PMK's Dr Ramadoss is continuing with his flip-flops and inching towards the DMK.
DMDK's Vijaykant, an actor who can make the alliance formidable has also not yet committed. And amidst all the hustle and bustle, analysts say that at present she has nothing else, but the price rise issue, to counter DMK's popular freebie schemes.
However, Jayalalithaa seems confident her price rise mantra will do the trick.
''People are fed up with the miserable life they have been pushed into... the DMK's freebies schemes will just not work,'' says Jayalalithaa.