News Politics National Jayalalithaa promises free laptops, grinders, fans

Jayalalithaa promises free laptops, grinders, fans

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Tuesday underscored her prime ministerial aspirations with a populist Lok Sabha poll manifesto promising freebies like laptops, mixer grinders and fans as well as goats, sheep and cows

Incidentally the AIADMK government was taken to the Supreme Court by a city-based advocate S. Subramaniam Balaji for creating private assets out of public money by giving freebies like laptops, grinders, laptops and others.

Last July, the apex court asked the poll panel to frame guidelines to discourage political parties from promising freebies in their election manifestos as it shakes the root of free and fair elections and disturbs level playing field for the candidates.

On the political front, the AIADMK declared its faith in the "values of secularism in Indian society" and "cooperative federalism".

The manifesto also promises to overturn some of the economic policies followed by the central government much to the liking of the two Left parties with which the AIADMK has aligned for the polls.

Terming the central food security scheme as half-baked, AIADMK promised to take measures to replace it with a universal public distribution system.