Thaindian News

Chennai, May 14 (IANS) AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa will meet Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala Sunday to stake her claim to form the government in the state for a third time, two days after her party’s landslide victory in the assembly polls.

Speaking to reporters here, Jayalalithaa said she would be meeting the governor Sunday.

According to her, details like the date of the swearing-in will be decided after the meeting. She said the party would not belie the trust the people reposed with their massive mandate.

Confirming the meeting, a Raj Bhavan official said the meeting is scheduled in the morning.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi submitted his resignation to Barnala Friday. The governor has asked him to continue till alternate arrangements are made.

The AIADMK has called a meeting of all its newly-elected 150 legislators here Sunday.

The meeting will be at the party headquarters.

The meeting will take stock of the election results and also elect Jayalalithaa as leader of the party in the new assembly.

“The swearing-in of our leader (Jayalalithaa) is likely to be Monday at the University Centenary Hall,” V. Maitreyan, a member of parliament, told IANS.

On the massive mandate for the AIADMK-led front, Maitreyan said: “It is a positive vote for a winning alliance. People have reposed faith in our leader’s ability. The vote in our favour is also because of the omissions and commissions of the DMK government.”

AIADMK legislator V.P. Kalairajan told IANS: “The massive victory is due to people’s faith in our leader’s ability in providing good and efficient government.”

The party contested 160 seats and won 150 of them. In nearly 80 constituencies, the AIADMK was in direct contest with the ruling DMK.

The AIADMK-led front has won 204 of the total 234 seats in the assembly.

Meanwhile, the new seat of power is likely to be the old assembly complex at St. George Fort, AIADMK leaders said.

The new assembly complex is the dream project of outgoing chief minister Karunanidhi, involving an outlay of around Rs.900 crore.

Jayalalithaa had expressed her opposition to the project and had even termed the new secretariat a “circus tent”.

Jayalalithaa has not attended even one assembly session in the new complex. AIADMK leaders had said that they would revert to Fort St. George when they come back to power.