Hope Modi govt is friendly with Tamil Nadu: Jayalalithaa

Basking in the glory of an expected historic victory, AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said the verdict was the expression of love and confidence by the people. Jaya met the press at her Poes Garden residence in the afternoon after mid-day trends showed her party to be leading from 37 of the 39 constituencies in the State.

If these advantages are consolidated to victories, the party could emerge as the third biggest in the next Lok Sabha.

“I wish the new government and Prime Minister well, and hope that the new Centre will be friendly towards Tamil Nadu,” said Jaya, whose main campaign pitch was the establishment of a “friendly government” in which AIADMK had a role to play.

However, the value of her brilliant performance has been negated by the BJP upsurge, making support from AIADMK irrelevant for government formation at the moment.

Meanwhile, her rival M Karunanidhi of the DMK conceded defeat, and congratulated BJP and Narendra Modi for the success in elections.

His party, added Karunanidhi, will continue to work for the people without being disheartened by the defeat. The party trailed in all the seats it contested – including in third position in at least a few of them.

There was no sign of any Modi wave in the State, with NDA allies coming at a poor third in most of the seats barring two. BJP State president Pon Radhakrishnan is leading at Kanyakumari, while at Dharmapuri, PMK youth leader and former union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss looks set to win.