Chennai, March 9 (IANS) In a strategic move to strengthen the party ahead of upcoming elections, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) held a virtual meeting with party district secretaries on Sunday.
The meeting, conducted via video conference from the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah, focused on bolstering the party’s grassroots presence and electoral strategy.
Palaniswami urged the 82 district secretaries in attendance to reinforce booth committees and submit comprehensive lists of committee members to the party headquarters without delay.
He stressed the crucial role of booth committees in AIADMK’s electoral success and emphasised the need to appoint dedicated and eligible members.
A key focus of the meeting was the intensification of AIADMK’s Thinnai Pracharam (verandah or portico campaign), aimed at exposing alleged corruption and governance failures of the ruling DMK government.
According to AIADMK sources, this initiative seeks to connect directly with voters and highlight the party’s agenda.
The meeting also covered preparations for Palaniswami’s upcoming statewide tour, a critical part of AIADMK’s strategy to regain lost ground and counter the DMK’s dominance.
After ruling Tamil Nadu for a decade (2011–2021), AIADMK has faced significant challenges, particularly following the demise of its iconic leader J. Jayalalithaa in 2016.
Despite this, party insiders maintain that AIADMK’s core voter base remains largely intact.
In the 2021 state elections, despite lacking a charismatic figure like Jayalalithaa, AIADMK secured 66 seats and garnered 33.29 per cent of the vote share, compared to DMK’s 37.70 per cent.
Recognising the evolving political landscape, the party has conducted a detailed constituency-wise analysis to tailor its strategy to Tamil Nadu’s diverse electorate.
AIADMK is reportedly exploring a renewed alliance with the BJP for the 2026 Assembly elections.
The party is also considering partnerships with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a current NDA constituent, and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
As part of its election strategy, AIADMK will appoint dedicated leaders for each assembly constituency, who will report to the respective district secretaries.
A professional agency has been engaged to conduct in-depth constituency-level surveys to identify and address local issues.
A key element of AIADMK’s campaign will be in Tamil Nadu’s coastal districts, where the party plans to highlight the ongoing issue of Tamil fishermen being detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
AIADMK aims to hold both the central and state governments accountable for their “inaction” on the repeated arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen.
With these initiatives, AIADMK is gearing up for a fierce electoral battle, seeking to reclaim its position as a dominant political force in Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
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