AIADMK general council meet on January 9

The announcement about the General Council meeting was made in a joint statement by AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami here on Monday. All the executive and general council members were asked to attend the meeting with a COVID-19 certificate that they have tested negative, by wearing face masks and following physical distancing norms.

The meeting, which should have been convened by the end of December this year, was apparently delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it would now be held at a marriage hall at suburban Vaanagaram on January nine, sources in the AIADMK said.

With the party already announcing Chief Minister and joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami as the CM candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections due in 4-5 months, the General Council was being convened to ratify that decision and give its approval for the same. The meeting to be presided by party presidium chairman E Madhusudhananan would also ratify the formation of an 11-member steering committee constituted on October seven when the CM candidate was announced.

In another statement, the AIADMK said both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam would kickstart the party’s campaign for the Assembly elections by addressing a rally at YMCA grounds in the city on December 27 to ensure that the party record a hat-trick of wins and retain power.

It said both the leaders would begin their campaign to ensure the continuance of the AIADMK regime and to continue to implement various welfare measures launched during the golden rule of AIADMK Founder MGR and on the mantra of ‘Peace, Prosperity Progress’ as envisaged by late party Supremo J Jayalalithaa.

It may be recalled that after protracted parleys the AIADMK had on October seven projected Palaniswami as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the Assembly elections. After Palaniswami announced the formation of the 11-member steering committee to guide the party in the polls, which included six members from his side and five representing OPS’s side, Panneerselvam formally announced the CM candidate of the AIADMK.

After projecting Jayalalithaa in the 1991 polls, this is for the first time the AIADMK will be facing the polls by projecting a Chief Minister candidate.