High command will decide on alliance, start work for 2024: EPS

CHENNAI: Keeping his flock together and commanding from the front, AIADMK leader and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami asked party’s district secretaries to kick start their election preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election from district and branch level. Meanwhile, he dissuaded the senior party leaders from broaching upon alliance and said the party top leadership will take the call on “alliance and seat sharing” at an appropriate time.

“BJP is not interfering in our party’s internal issues and it’s best for us to avoid talking about them,” said a reliable source quoting EPS, who hinted on Rajya Sabha MP CVe Shanmugam’s recent remark that DMK would ditch its allies Congress and left parties to join hands with the BJP for the 2024 polls. It did not go down well with EPS camp as well as it turned into an embarrassment for the saffron party.

The closed-door meeting at the party’s headquarters took place in the backdrop of the Election Commission’s acceptance of the annual audit financial report submitted by EPS camp. “It was reassuring to us and our leader. It is evident today as the EPS is determined and clear in his thoughts. He wanted us to focus our energy and resources to revitalise the party ahead of the LS polls. Now, we have a clear vision ahead of us,” said a senior leader preferring anonymity.

EPS further asked the district secretaries to gear up for the LS polls and listed out slew of actions to strengthen the party at grass root level. He also urged the leaders to refrain from broaching upon the factionalism and avoid criticising OPS and his team for giving undue importance to them. He also appreciated the party functionaries for organising protests and demonstrations across the state condemning DMK government for price hike in milk, property taxes and electricity bills and unmasking the government’s failure in maintaining law and order.

Deputy general secretary of the party Natham R Viswanathan said the general secretary (EPS) would take the call on alliance and seat sharing. He advised others to restrain from discussions related to poll alliance.

Dindigul Sreenivasan reiterated that the party should shut its door for the traitors, who took side of the OPS, and encouraged the party leadership to give postings to young functionaries and loyalists, while Viswanathan called OPS a “fake” politician when they stepped out of the two hours meeting.

AIADMK presidium chairman Tamil Magan Hussain chaired the meeting, while senior leaders KP Munusamy, KA Sengottaiyan, C Ponnaiyan, D Jayakumar and SP Velumani attended the meeting.