Fearing poll defeat, Chidambaram sitting out, says Jayalalithaa

Sivaganga (Tamil Nadu), March 21 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa Friday attributed union Finance Minister P.Chidambaram's actions for the economic collapse and said that he, fearing a poll defeat, is fielding his son from the Sivaganga seat.

She said Chidambaram did not care for people's welfare and also for the nation's economy and his only achievement is to bring in around 200 bank branches in the Sivaganga constituency.

Addressing an election rally in Sivaganga district, around 455 km from Chennai, Jayalalithaa said Chidambaram's tenure a finance minister (May 2004-November 2008 and since Aug 2012), the Indian economy slid down, rupee depreciated, inflation went up, while exports declined and imports increased.

She alleged Chidambaram has the habit of announcing higher allocations for plan expenditure in the budget and later reduce them drastically during the revised estimates.

"The state's share of finance is not given properly," she said.

Jayalalithaa also said the AIADMK does not accept that Chidambaram won from the Sivaganga constituency in 2009 general elections, and his victory is a fraudulent one.

"The party's candidate had demanded a vote recount. Why was that request rejected?" she wondered.

She said the election petition against Chidambaram is still pending in the Madras High Court.

According to her, Chidambaram, fearing defeat, is not contesting in the elections this time and the party has given the ticket to his son.