Gear up for 2024 LS polls, do not to talk about alliance: EPS

CHENNAI: Keeping his flock together and commanding from the front, AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami asked district secretaries to kick-start their election preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from district and branch level.

Meanwhile, he dissuaded the senior party leaders from broaching upon alliance and said the party topleadership will take the call on "alliance and seat sharing" at appropriate time.

"BJP is not interfering in our party's internal issues and it's best for us to avoid talking about them, " said a reliable source quoting EPS, who hinted on Rajya Sabha MP C Ve Shanmugam's recent remark that DMK would ditch its allies Congress and left parties to join hands with BJP for the 2024 polls.

It did not go down well with EPS camp as well as it turned into an embarrassment for the saffron party.

The closed door meeting at the party's headquarters is taking place in the backdrop of the Election Commission of India's acceptance of the annual audit financial report submitted by EPS camp.

"It was reassuring to us and our leader. It is evident today as the EPS is determined and clear in his thoughts. He wanted us to focus our energy and resources to revitalise the party ahead of the LS polls. No, we have a clear vision ahead of us, " said a senior leader preferring anonymity.

EPS further asked the district secretaries to gear up for the upcoming LS polls and listed out slew of actions to strengthen the party at grass root level.

He also urged the party leaders to refrain from broaching upon the factionalism and avoid criticising OPS and his team for giving undue importance to them.

He also appreciated the party functionaries for organising protests and demonstrations across the state condemning arch-rival DMK and its government for price hike of milk, property taxes and electricity bills and unmasking the government's failure in maintaining the law and order.

Deputy general secretary of the party Natham R Viswanathan said the general secretary (EPS) would take the call on alliance and seat sharing. He advised others to restrain from discussions related to poll alliance.

Dindigal Srinivasan reiterated that the party should shut its door for the traitors, who took side of the OPS, and encouraged the party leadership to give postings to young functionaries and loyalists, while Viswanathan called OPS as a "fake" politician when they stepped out of the two hours meeting.

Presidium chairman of the party Tamil Magan Hussain chaired the meeting, while senior leaders K P Munusamy, K A Sengottaiyan, C Ponnaiyan, D Jayakumar and S P Velumani attended the meeting.