The chief minister said the east coast corridor (Kharagpur-Vijayawada) ought to have been extended to Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. Previously she served as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, in 2001, from 2002 to 2006, and from 2011 to 2014. The tattoos read Amma everything for us.
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This time, more than the cadres, senior AIADMK leaders and party legislators including ministers went beyond one’s imagination to celebrate their leader’s birthday. She inaugurated the houses through video conferencing and gave away keys to 14 beneficiaries here and wished them all the best in their new residential accommodation, it said. Besides the décor that echoed her presence, small cut-outs of Amma’s face were placed on the head on every newly-wed couple as a show of being bestowed with her blessings.
Speaking to media, AIADMK party workers said, “Amma is everything for us, she is like a god to us”. Old Tamil film songs featuring former Chief Minister and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa were played in streets. The celebrations are expected to be on till the weekend while she would turn 68 on February 24, according to the Gregorian calendar.
Even as the Tamil Nadu chief minister did not make a public appearance on her 68th birthday, her supporters left no stone unturned to celebrate her special day.
Jayalalithaa said her government was prepared to engage with the Railway Ministry on reworking the MoU to ensure a more balanced and acceptable draft.
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At Chennai a 68 kg cake was cut by ministers and party workers. On the eve of Jayalalithaa’s 68th birthday, the DMK’s “birthday gift” to her was served an equally pungent “Return Gift” by the IT wing of the AIADMK. An AIADMK MLA has floated on water for 48 minutes to wish Amma happy birthday.
