AIADMK General Council Endorses EPS As CM Candidate

AIADMK’s top decision-making body General Council also authorised O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami--the top leaders-- to devise the party’s strategy for the polls and endorsed the appointment of a steering committee, which is likely to play a key role in important matters. The six Ministers and five other office-bearers in the committee are seen as loyalists of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam respectively. The party’s general council met at a marriage hall in Chennai.

In one of the 16 resolutions adopted at the meeting, the party members authorised the two leaders to devise AIADMK’s electoral strategy, even as it

eyes a hat trick of victories, after securing back to back wins in 2011 and 2016 under the late J Jayalalithaa. The general council also endorsed Panneerselvam’s October 2020 announcement that Palaniswami will be the AIADMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the polls. It also empowered its leaders to decide on alliance matters and seat-sharing talks with its alliance partners.

Targeting DMK president M K Stalin, the party alleged that he was unable to bear the growing public support for its government, as well as  Palaniswami’s administrative acumen and was therefore indulging in “uncultured” criticism of the CM. In an apparent reference to its arch-rival, the party, in another resolution, said it would strive hard to “put an end to the dynasty politics of one family” and ensure that a “true democratic government” under AIADMK was installed post-polls.