Tamil Nadu

Even on polling day, Jayalalithaa has little to say to the media

Written by : TNM Staff

AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa cast her vote at Chennai’s Stella Maris College at 10 am on Monday. After casting her vote, she issued a short statement to assembled journalists, saying, “After two days, we will know what the people’s verdict is.”

As compared to the confident assertions of victory from DMK leaders Karunanidhi and Stalin, the AIADMK supremo’s comment, was uncharactertistically non-committal, given her history of public announcements at the polling booth. In 2009, for instance, Jayalalithaa took the opportunity to put to rest any rumours regarding a possible post-poll alliance with the BJP. She declared in unequivocal terms that there was no chance of such an alliance.

But since her conviction in 2014, Jayalalithaa has been notoriously media-shy. While she has hit the campaign trail with a vengeance, her media strategy has been in marked contrast to the DMK. While Stalin and Karunanidhi have given regular media appearances, Jayalalithaa has not given a single interview this polling season, and has not even provided a single news byte to the media. 

News, views and interviews- Follow our election coverage.

Who spread unblurred videos of women? SIT probe on Prajwal Revanna must find

No faith in YSRCP or TDP-JSP- BJP alliance: Andhra’s Visakha Steel Plant workers

Being KC Venugopal: Rahul Gandhi's trusted lieutenant

‘Wasn’t aware of letter to me on Prajwal Revanna’: Vijayendra to TNM

Opinion: Why the Congress manifesto has rattled corporate monopolies, RSS and BJP