Pandemic proves to be a common enemy for arch-rivals in Tamil Nadu

The situation is such that the Prashant Kishore-led IPAC doing the political strategy work for the DMK has sent an internal circular warning its staff of pay cut if they are infected or under quarantine due to Coronavirus.

The IPAC managers who feel that the work from home concept has affected the strategic works have now instructed the staff to return to duty or face pay cuts.

“The IPAC had earlier adopted the work from the home concept but later they forced the staff to attend office. And the worst part is that some of us are not paid our salaries as we chose to work from home,” rued an IPAC staff.

“Some of the IPAC staff are not trained and the COVID lockdown has often led to more confusion. Recently there was an internal meeting arranged for the party workers to register complaints against local district secretaries.

“District secretaries are not allowed for this online meeting, but IPAC staff were sending invitations for district secretaries,” an informed DMK source said.

The situation with AIADMK is equally murky... The party which has launched the cadre enrolment for its youth wing, IT wing and Paasarai, early this month is unable to meet the targets set by the AIADMK leaders.

As a result, the ruling AIADMK has extended the cadre enrolment drive for the second time. The ruling party should have already finished the appointment of new district secretaries and the state level functionaries.

Several top-level meetings were planned last month, but with a couple of ministers testing positive several party works were put on hold.

Further, a few MLA are also recovering after being infected by corona.

So, the cadre enrolment drive and internal meetings have taken a delay, admitted an AIADMK senior, who had always been a member of the party’s election monitoring committee. The party office at Royapettah is now functioning at full pace, but meeting the deadlines are becoming difficult due to corona pandemic. 

“The number of party men from rural areas visiting the party office has reduced due to e-pass restrictions,” a party insider said.