2 crore people in flood-affected Tamil Nadu get a call from CM Jayalalithaa

DMK chief Karunanidhi had recently tweeted that when they answered the phone at home, it turned out to be Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa on the line! Amma, as she is popularly known, has been busy sending out recorded phone messages to flood-affected citizens of Chennai.  

Starting off her message with, "Vanakkam, ungal anbu sahodari Jayalalithaa pesukeran". (Namaste, this is your sister Jayalalithaa speaking), the CM said that she would be with them in this time of distress and look after them. She said in her message, "You all started calling me Amma, which has now made me forget the name my parents gave me," adding that she had no relatives nor a life for herself. 

A call centre in Noida helped the Directorate of Information and Public Relations in Tamil Nadu to relay the 12.38 minute speech to nearly two crore households on their landlines and mobile phones, according to a report in a leading daily. The cities targeted were Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore as they were the worst-affected.

Earlier on December 17, Jayalalithaa had released a two-minute audio clip on WhatsApp, where she was emotional and said that she was also suffering as her people were suffering and would stand by them no matter what.

The use of social media and mobile phones to relay Jayalalithaa's messages is seen as a strong pre-poll strategy for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections that are coming up in a few months time.