CHENNAI: Meeting district secretaries for the first time since reviving the alliance with the BJP for the upcoming Assembly elections, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami instructed them to refrain from discussing the tie-up publicly and instead focus on constituencies where the party lost by narrow margins in the 2021 polls, in order to halt the DMK-led front’s momentum and re-establish the AIADMK regime.

Expressing confidence of forging a strong combine against the incumbent, Palaniswami said more political parties were likely to join in the lead-up to the Assembly elections. He asserted that the front would secure a resounding victory and form the government.

Senior AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan, reportedly disgruntled with the party chief, was present in the meeting, after he had previously skipped party MLAs’ meetings ahead of the Assembly session, and the party hosted by Palaniswami at his camp office.