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United stands AIADMK behind Amma!

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general council Saturday authorised party supremo J Jayalalitha to forge a new alliance and take appropriate decisions "in the national interest."

A resolution to this effect was adopted unanimously at the fag end of the day-long proceedings in Madras.

The council also condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party and other allies for being "ungrateful" to Jayalalitha, with whose "political strategy and skill they had come to power."

The meeting began with party deputy general secretary K Kalimuthu mounting a scathing attack on the BJP and other coalition partners, signalling that the AIADMK was still keeping its option to pull out open.

Jayalalitha, sporting a pink printed sari, was seen smiling broadly when Kalimuthu thundered that anyone who did not respect ''puratchi thalaivi'' (revolutionary leader, Jayalalitha) would be shunned by the party, whatever his position is.

The reference obviously was to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Kalimuthu said it was Jayalalitha who made the BJP, considered an ''untouchable'' till then, acceptable by allying with it during the last election. ''Ms Jayalalaitha, who can install a person on a pedestal can also bring him down,'' he warned.

Kalimuthu said Jayalalitha had changed the course of history by forcing North Indian leaders to look to the South for support, and making them wait for an audience with her. Apparently, he was referring to the numerous occasions when the prime minister had despatched emissaries to placate the AIADMK leader.

Kalimuthu singled out Union Power Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, MDMK general secretary Vaiko and Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress president and Petroleum Minister Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy for virulent attack.

The two AIADMK ministers in the Union Cabinet -- Law Minister Thambi Durai and Minister of State for Finance Kadambur Janardhanam -- and other senior leaders seemed to endorse Kalimuthu's views, looking cheerful as their colleague went on with his combative speech.

Earlier at 1055 hours, when Jayalalitha arrived at the Vijaya Seshmahal in Vadapalani, AIADMK activists had hailed her as the future hope of the country.

Jayalalitha, for her part, showed no signs of belligerence, though she was under direct attack by the BJP allies including Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

The general council met in the backdrop of the senior AIADMK leaders challenging the Centre to pull out.

Meanwhile, the BJP national executive, in session at Panaji, claimed there was no threat to the Vajpayee government.

UNI

THE JAYALALITHA INTERVIEW
'I don't see myself [as prime minister], but anything is possible in politics'

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