CHENNAI: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is set to hold a closed-door meeting with senior leaders and party office bearers on Thursday and Friday at the party headquarters to assess the party’s preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections and deliberate on key political developments, including the party’s choice of candidate for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections scheduled for June 19.
Unlike his counterpart and DMK chief MK Stalin, who already announced its candidates for three seats and allocated one for Makkal Neidhi Maiyam leader Kamalhassan without internal contention, EPS faces a complex task of finalising for one of the two seats held by N Chandrasegharan.
Several senior leaders, including party presidium chairperson A Tamilmagan Hussan, are in contention. The selection process has sparked internal competition and highlighted factional interests within the party.
However, there is an uncertainty surrounding a second seat, presently held by PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, which may open up depending on alliance negotiations for the forthcoming assembly polls. “We are not sure about the second seat,” said a former minister, who also emphasised EPS’s reluctance to accommodate the DMDK, citing its declining relevance in the Dravidian land.
Palaniswami is scheduled to meet secretaries of 42 district units on Thursday and the remaining district secretaries on Friday. The meetings will include a thorough review of the party’s organisational structure, with special focus on booth-level committees and youth wing activities.