CHENNAI: A fortnight after kick-starting its campaign for the Assembly elections, AIADMK general council would meet on Saturday to chalk out strategies to retain power for a third consecutive term. The meeting is expected to accord full powers to AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami to take all poll-related decisions, including alliance formation and seat-sharing numbers.
The general council meeting is also likely to ratify constitution of a 11-member steering committee and adopt a resolution declaring Palaniswami as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. Panneerselvam will submit the income-expenditure statement for the year 2020.
The meeting, which should have been convened in December last, was reportedly delayed due to Covid-19 concerns. The meeting takes place ahead of BJP national president JP Nadda’s visit to Chennai on January 14. Though Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had announced the continuation of AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP over a month ago, the BJP is yet to reciprocate it.
Also, the national party has been delaying recognition of Palaniswami as the alliance’s CM candidate, and there has been war of words between leaders of the both parties. AIADMK deputy coordinator KP Munusamy, during the electoral campaign launch, had sent out a strong message to the BJP that the party should not harbour ideas of forming a coalition government in Tamil Nadu.
A few hours after the general council meeting, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam are slated to meet ministers, party’s district secretaries and zonal in-charges at the AIADMK headquarters to further discuss poll preparations.