CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has advised district secretaries to take the positive aspects of the AIADMK-BJP alliance to rural voters, as feedback from villages indicates negative perceptions about the partnership, according to sources.
At a closed door meeting of 82 district secretaries at the party headquarters in Royapettah on Wednesday, Palaniswami reportedly told the gathering that AIADMK cadres were not adequately engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls and directed officials to focus on adding the names of eligible voters who were left out.
He instructed district secretaries to ensure strong participation in the upcoming special voter enrolment camps across constituencies.
He said alliance discussions were under way with other parties for the forthcoming Assembly elections and urged secretaries not to be distracted by alliance-related concerns. Some constituencies where the AIADMK is seen to have strong winning prospects could be allotted to the BJP as part of the seat-sharing agreement, he cautioned, and asked party workers to function without hesitation even in such constituencies.
Stressing organisational discipline, EPS directed party cadres to ensure not a single vote in favour of the AIADMK is lost in the Assembly elections.
EPS also directed the district secretaries to submit the lists of candidates deemed suitable for constituencies in their jurisdictions.
Ticket allocation would be decided after reviewing the recommendations and evaluating the candidates’ winning chances, he said. EPS called on cadres to work with vigour and ensure its victory against the rival DMK-led combine in the high stakes electoral battle just two months away.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, former Minister D Jayakumar expressed confidence that the AIADMK would return to power.
He said the government has failed to meet people’s expectations and criticised Health Minister Ma Subramanian’s recent remarks denying the spread of ganja menace in Tamil Nadu, calling the statement false.
The AIADMK's alliance with the BJP, which also includes the Tamil Maanila Congress, has been reaffirmed, even as the final seat-sharing arrangement has yet to be announced.