The ruling AIADMK continued to make light of the Vaiko-led People's Welfare Front (PWF) in the state Assembly with Finance Minister O Panneerselvam today saying it was heading to a no-destination.
"You will not reach the destination (even) when you take a detour as you are headed towards a no-destination," he told a senior CPI member.
Panneerselvam's remarks came when CPI member S Gunasekaran, while speaking about the PWF, and particularly asked the ruling party, once his party's ally, to be 'cordial' with the four-party bloc which comprises of Vaiko's MDMK, CPI (M), CPI and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
Yesterday, AIADMK MLA G V Markandayan had called PWF a "complex welfare front."
Panneerselvam, also the Leader of the House, had also said the AIADMK member's reference was only over the "complexity about who the PWF's chief ministerial candidate was" and nothing else.
The issue of chief ministerial candidate in PWF today also came up, and Gunasekaran said in a democracy, elected members later select the candidate, a line often repeated by Vaiko and other leaders of PWF since its formation last year.
CPI (M) legislator K Balabarathy said PWF, which is projecting itself as an alternative, was a front with "alternative ideas," and expressed confidence that it would do well in the coming elections.
AIADMK had aligned with the two Left parties for the 2011 Assembly polls but they later parted ways.
(REOPENS MDS4)
After the executive meet, Jayalalithaa addressed a
meeting of party MLAs.
A condolence resolutionpassed separately expressed grief at the passing away of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief MinisterMufti 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 personalitiesof Tamil Nadu from different walks of life, including Jayalalithaa's school teacher Catherine Simon andTiruparankundram MLA-elect S M Seenivel.
(REOPENS MES3)
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.
