Jayalalithaa leaves for Delhi

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Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa left this afternoon for a keenly watched two-day visit to Delhi, the first after her AIADMK-led front staged a spectacular comeback to power in the April 13 Assembly polls.

Jayalalithaa, who left by a special flight, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday when she is expected to take up with him issues concerning the state including power crisis and problems faced by Indian fishermen.

The emotive Sri Lankan Tamils issue is also on the cards, with the state Assembly passing a unanimous resolution seeking that New Delhi and other countries impose economic sanctions to “rein in” Colombo on this matter.

National security adviser Shivshankar Menon had called on Jayalalithaa the next day, when she had urged him to take up with Sri Lanka during his visit there rehabilitation of Tamils and their dignified living and equal rights.

Jayalalithaa had already written to the Prime Minister on these issues, requesting his personal intervention in ensuring 1000 mw power to the state from June 2011 to May 2012 and secure the release of four fishermen from the state detained in Sri Lanka.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister's first official visit has sparked off interests in the political circles in the state as well in the national capital as the visit comes amidst severe strains in Congress-DMK relations.

Jayalalithaa, as an Opposition leader in 2010, had assured AIADMK’s support to the Congress-led ruling coalition at the Centre if DMK pulled out of the alliance over the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had also greeted Jayalalithaa on her victory, causing consternation in DMK and sparking off speculations about a possible political realignment.