Golden Jubilee fete: AIADMK shrugs off drubbing in rural civic polls, vows to fight back

Outlining the initiatives to commemorate the jubilee through the year, AIADMK top leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami said that their party is for all sections of the people, which held the reins of power for over 30 years in Tamil Nadu. 

The party transcended ''politics of caste and religion and dynasty politics,'' they said and listed several initiatives including the nutritious meal program, Amma canteen, and 69 percent reservation to ensure social justice as achievements when the AIADMK was in power. ''Our message for the golden jubilee is that the party work will continue to be on to usher in the party's regime, for the removal of people's anguish; for a peaceful Tamil Nadu and to put the state on the path of growth,'' Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, Coordinator and Co-coordinator respectively, said in a statement. 

The ruling DMK swept the rural civic polls held days ago in the nine reconstituted districts including Kanchipuram, relegating the AIADMK to a distant second position. Of the total 153 district panchayat wards, the DMK and AIADMK bagged 139 and 2 seats respectively. Of the 1,421 panchayat union wards, the DMK and AIADMK won 977 and 212 respectively. Among the several announcements made by them to celebrate the golden jubilee year were a big-ticket party conference, honoring veteran party workers with gold-plated commemorative medals and cash gifts, and institution of awards named after party icons, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK headquarters here on Avvai Shanmugam Salai would be christened 'Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Maligai (Revolutionary leader MGR Castle)', the leaders said. 

The party would release a commemorative, golden jubilee logo and a brochure listing the milestones in the party's 50-year history would be distributed. Wall posters and banners would be put up across the state featuring the images of reformist leader 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy, Dravidian icon C N Annadurai, party founder MGR, and late party supremo Jayalalithaa to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the party's founding. Writers, orators, poets, and those in the field of performing arts working for the AIADMK's growth would be honored with awards named after Periyar, Anna, MGR, and 'Amma,' the party's top two leaders said. Authors who have written on party leaders MGR and Amma would be felicitated. 

State-wide sports events have also been lined up and elocution competitions would be held and all the winners shall be honored in the golden jubilee conference. 

A short film chronicling the party's history would be produced and broadcast on television and social media. Painting graffitti on walls, setting up colorful lights to represent the party's two-leaves symbol across Tamil Nadu are among the other initiatives to celebrate the anniversary. The AIADMK, founded on October 17, 1972, had announced early this month that it would hold year-long celebrations of the golden jubilee of its founding.