EPS forms 111-member panel for Erode East constituency by-poll

CHENNAI: Leaving no stone unturned to establish his supremacy in the party, Leader of Opposition and 'interim' general secretary of AIADMK Edappadi K Palaniswami constituted a massive election committee, with 111 members, for the Erode East Constituency by-poll.

Former minister and Organising Secretary of AIADMK KA Sengottaiyan would head the committee to take up the electioneering work for the February 27 by-poll, which was necessitated following the demise of Congress MLA E Thirumahan Everaa.

Presidium Chairman of the party Tamil Magan Hussain and senior leaders, including Deputy general secretaries KP Munusamy, Natham R Viswanathan, Treasurer Dindigul C Srinivasan, propaganda secretary M Thambidurai, were part of the committee. The former CM has also appointed all the district secretaries as members of the committee.

EPS, in a statement, urged the party functionaries in Erode East Constituency to extend their support and cooperation for the election committee and work hard to ensure the victory of the candidate of the party, who is yet to be announced.

By forming a committee with more than 100 members, the former CM and Kongu region strongman sent across a message to his rival group led by O Panneerselvam.

"He (EPS) is seeing the bypoll as an opportunity to prove the political importance of OPS and his supporters, besides making a statement all the senior leaders and district secretaries are with him," said a supporter of EPS and a sitting MLA in Kongu region, while a functionary in the party Headquarters said that since it was an important poll for the party. It warranted a collective effort of the senior leaders and functionaries to take on the strong DMK and its allies, besides keep the opposition camp at bay.