Jayalalithaa stakes claim to form govt in Tamil Nadu

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalithaa on Sunday staked her claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu while she was congratulated on her election victory by rival Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

While she will take oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Monday, on Sunday she went to the Raj Bhavan and met the governor Surjit Singh Barnala and formally staked claim to form the government.

Elected 146 AIADMK MLAs met here on Sunday and elected Jayalalithaa the AIADMK Legislature Party leader.
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She said the state’s economy has been derailed by the outgoing Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) government and it has to be restored while law and order would be her first priority.

Jayalalithaa said she was congratulated over her thumping election victory by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Reports said she was invited over tea by Sonia Gandhi and has accepted the invitation.

The invitation of Sonia is being seen as the Congress’s move to reach out to AIADMK.

Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu returned to power on Friday as her party AIADMK along with the alliance partners bagged 203 seats against 31 by DMK and its alliance in state assembly polls.

Jayalalithaa, better known as Amma, said the state has to be built again since the outgoing government has ruined it completely.

“It is not an easy task to rebuild an entire state. We have to clear away the debris and build the entire house,” she said.

“It is a difficult task, but we take up the challenge for the people of Tamil Nadu,” she said.

She said people were totally disgusted with the DMK and when they got a chance they threw out the government.

“I thank the people. It is their victory,” she said.