EPS to hold constituency-wise review meeting from July 10 to 17 at party headquarters

CHENNAI: The AIADMK leadership would review the party's performance in the Lok Sabha elections between July 10 and 19 at the party headquarters.

Palaniswami, in a statement, asked the candidates, senior party leaders, election incharge and functionaries, who played vital roles in the election campaigns, to attend the meeting without fail.

As many as 26 constituencies would be taken for the review meeting, starting with Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur constituencies on July 10.

For each constituency, the leaders would deliberate in detail and analyse voting percentage, pattern and factors that impacted the party's performance.

The election works of the functionaries in each assembly segment in LS constituency would also be looked into, said party insiders, who recalled that Palaniswami, in earlier meeting, had expressed his displeasure with some of the district secretaries for not working to their full potential to improve the performance of the party.

Amidst the growing demand for unification of the party, Palaniswami's move to hold the review meeting is aimed to reassure his leadership, according to an older timer and headquarter functionary.

The party headed the alliance, comprising DMDK, SDPI and Puthiya Tamilagam parties.

AIADMK fielded candidates in 32 constituencies, while SDPI and PT leaders contested in AIADMKs symbol in Dindigul and Tenkasi constituencies.

Though EPS was unable to retain his former ally PMK and other smaller parties, which faced the polls with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, Palaniswami took out a spirited campaign and covered all the 39 constituencies in the state.

Apart from losing all the seats, the party candidates had forfeited the deposit in Chennai South and nine other constituencies that demoralised the cadres and sympathisers.

The party's vote share witnessed a slight margin as it increased from 19.3 per cent in 2019 polls to 20.5 per cent in this polls.

It lost the single seat, Theni, that the party won in the previous polls as the DMK-led INDIA bloc swept the elections and registered a massive victory.

In most of the constituencies, the AIADMK handed down a heavy defeat with a margin ranging between 1.5 lakh to 2.5 lakh.

Though Palaniswami and his supporters took refuge by stating that the party's voting percentage has increased by 1 percent when compared to the LS polls in 2019.

It did not shield Palaniswami from strong criticism over the continuous electoral debacle under his leaders from the by-poll in 2017.

However, Palaniswami supporters hoped that he would pull the party out of the slump and regroup it well before the assembly polls.

But his decision to boycott the Vikravandi polls did not augur well and created further dent. on his leadership quality.

"We are hoping that our leader will take back the party to its glories days. But we want him to take strong action against non-performance leaders and functionaries without any second thoughts," said a former MLA, preferrying anonymity.