AIADMK will retain power: Jayalalithaa

Asserting that the AIADMK would retain power in Tamil Nadu, Chief minister Jayalalithaa today said it was "highly doubtful" whether the DMK would retain the status of main opposition party after the Assembly polls in the state.

Intervening in the debate on the state budget in the Assembly, she told DMK legislature party leader Duraimurugan that "we will continue to be in the treasury benches. I do not know whether you will occupy the present place."

She said the DMK was "daydreaming" of unseating her from power.

Earlier, winding up the debate, Duraimurugan said, "We will be in the treasury benches when the next budget is presented. You have to occupy our place here," he said pointing towards the opposition benches.

Describing the budget as a 'wasteful exercise', he said the AIADMK government's only achievement was to have the same finance minister C Ponnaiyan for a full term of five years. "It is a Guinness record," he said.

Jayalalithaa retorted by saying that reviving the state's economy "from shambles" was the real 'Guinness record.'

Replying to the debate, Ponnaiyan said the state was one of the two states in the country, which had qualified for central loan waiver, as it had fulfiled the prudential norms prescribed by the 12th finance commission.