In a strange explanation for her party's U-turn on its decision to abstain in the presidential election, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Jayalalithaa on Thursday blamed the Election Commission for creating 'unnecessary confusion' on the issue that led party MPs and MLAs to vote in the polls.
In a statement, she said she had gone out of Chennai in the early hours of the day and learnt of what had transpired in her absence only in the afternoon.
She said, being unable to comprehend the ramifications of the Election Commission's "wholly avoidable note" issued on July 17, AIADMK MPs and MLAs came to the conclusion that they would have to face undesirable consequences if they did not cast their vote.
So, "by way of abundant caution, they decided to cast their votes in the presidential election", she said.
Jayalalithaa had earlier announced the decision of the new Third Front, of which the AIADMK is a key member, to abstain from the presidential election.
In her statement, she said she had planned to convene a meeting of her party MPs and MLAs yesterday to give them directions in this regard.
The Election Commission suddenly came out with a press note on July 17 that "created a lot of unnecessary confusion in the minds of all concerned", she said.
"The EC's note created unnecessary fear and panic in their minds. There was no one to explain the correct position to them since convening of any meeting was forbidden and would be misinterpreted as issuance of a whip," she said.