Amma meets NaMo

Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa met PM Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley to discuss issues related to her state. On the sidelines of the meet, she told reporters that support to NDA in Rajya Sabha would be considered when the time comes.
Later, she met with law and communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
While BJP has a full majority in Lok Sabha, it lacks the numbers in Rajya Sabha and may have to seek support of smaller regional parties to get crucial legislations passed. A commonality of approach between the BJP leaders and the AIADMK chief came through in all her meetings with the Central ministers.
This was the first meeting Jayalalithaa had with Modi after he assumed office at the Centre. During the 50-minute meeting, Jayalalithaa presented a 66-page memorandum.
The memorandum included demands for additional allocation of resources for TN and expediting formation of a sub-committee for the Mullaperiyar Dam after the SC order to raise its water level to 142 feet. She has also sought provisions to ensure GST does not deprive the state of its economic autonomy entirely .
Notwithstanding the bonhomie, analysts say the AIADMK chief is not likely to deviate from her stand with regard to the Centre on a range of issues, including Sri Lanka, in a bid to appease Tamil sentiment with an eye on the 2016 assembly elections. Regional compulsions, for instance, are likely to prevent her from moderating her stand on Lanka. In the memorandum, she has urged India to pass a resolution in UN condemning what she termed genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. She has also sought retrieval of Katchateevu islet, ceded to Lanka by India in 1972. To resolve the deadlock in Indo-Lanka fishermen level talks, she has suggested deep sea tuna long liners to prevent bottom trawlers from plundering marine wealth in the Gulf of Mannar.

After the meeting, the CM said talks were “very useful.“ Asked if AIADMK would join NDA, the party chief said there is “no proposal.“ Queried about the possibility of AIADMK supporting NDA from outside, she replied, “BJP itself has got an independent majority . They don't need support from outside.“ Asked if AIADMK will support the NDA in Rajya Sabha, Jayalalithaa did not rule it out, saying “We will see when that situation arises.“ BJP has a total of 42 members in Rajya Sabha, while AIADMK has 10 Rajya Sabha members in the 243-member Upper House whose current strength is 231. In the Lok Sabha, AIADMK is the third largest party with 37 seats.

During her meeting with Arun Jaitley , Jayalalithaa handed over a letter and a background note containing issues pertaining to Tamil Nadu relating to Goods and Services Tax, release of pending claims for compensation due to Central Sales Tax rate reduction, shortfalls in release of Central Grants, enhancement of Central Support for Social Security Pensions, reversal of an amendment made in 2013 to Section 40 of the Income Tax Act, and the redesign of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Direct Benefit Transfer. Sources said, Jaitley assured Jayalalithaa that prompt and positive action would be taken.