AIADMK general council endorses Palaniswami as CM candidtae for Assembly polls

Chennai, Jan 9 (PTI): The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu onSaturday endorsed Chief Minister K Palaniswami as its CMcandidate for this year's high-stakes Assembly polls,where theparty will take on arch rival DMK in a tough electoral battle.

AIADMK's top decision-making body General Council alsoauthorised O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami--the top leaders--to devise the party's strategy for the polls and endorsed theappointment of a steering committee, which is likely to play akey role in important matters.

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are likely to be held inApril-May.

The party's general council, besides the Executive, metat a marriage hall here under the leadership of AIADMKCoordinator Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Palaniswami.

Palaniswami is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu whilePanneerselvam is his deputy.

In one of the 16 resolutions adopted at the meeting, theparty members authorised the two leaders to devise AIADMK'selectoral strategy, even as it eyes a hat trick of victories,after securing back to back wins in 2011 and 2016 under thelate J Jayalalithaa.

''This general council authorises O Panneerselvam andEdapadi K Palaniswami to devise winning strategies to ensurea grand win in the 2021 polls, create an AIADMK-led victoryalliance and decide seat-sharing with alliance parties,'' themembers resolved.

The party has earned the public's praise for ''goodgovernance,'' it added.

The AIADMK had earlier led the National DemocraticAlliance (NDA), its constituents being the BJP, DMDK and PMKamong others, in the state for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls andits two top leaders have already confirmed the party'salliance with the BJP.

The general council also endorsed Panneerselvam'sOctober 2020 announcement that Palaniswami will be theAIADMK's chief ministerial candidate for the polls.

The members said they ''unanimously accept theannouncement and will work hard to ensure victory'' and bringPalaniswami back to the post after the elections.

Further, it approved the appointment of a steeringcommittee, which was announced in October last year.

The six Ministers and five other office-bearers in thecommittee are seen as loyalists of Palaniswami andPanneerselvam respectively.

The setting up of such a committee was Panneerselvam'slong pending demand then.

Targeting DMK President M K Stalin, the party allegedthat he was unable to bear the growing public support for itsgovernment, as well as Palaniswami's administrative acumen andwas therefore indulging in ''uncultured'' criticism of the CM.

It condemned Stalin and his DMK supporters for ''personalattacks.'' In an apparent reference to its arch rival, the party, inanother resolution, said it would strive hard to ''put an endto the dynasty politics of one family'' and ensure that a ''truedemocratic government'' under AIADMK was installed post-polls.

It also lauded the government on different matters suchas the 7.5 per cent quota in medical education for governmentschool students who clear the National Entrance cumEligibility Test (NEET) and attracting investments to thestate.

Further, it opposed the Sri Lankan government's move toscrap the provincial councils, saying it would impact theTamils there and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi tointervene in the matter.

In his address, Panneerselvam said the party was aboveindividuals and urged for a united fight to secure a ''grand,unprecedented victory'' in the coming elections.

He urged party workers to go to the people with DMK's''scams and betrayals'' such as ceding of Katchatheevu islet inthe 1970s and not taking steps for notifying the final awardof the Cauvery disputes tribunal in a gazette.

He said there was no factionalism in the party and thatno leader, including himself or Palaniswami, have said ''beloyal to me'', but only insisted for unity among the ranks.

''Ours is the only democratic organisation where workerscan become even chief minister and deputy CM, which is not thecase with others....setting aside differences, work with thesole aim of party's victory (in the polls),'' he said.

Palaniswami, targeting DMK over ''dynasty politics'', saidthat while earlier it was the late M Karunanidhi at the helmof affairs, ''it was then (MK) Stalin and now Udhayanidhi(Stalin's son).'' ''In this election, end this dynasty politics,'' he said.

For AIADMK stalwarts, the late chief ministers M GRamachandran (party founder) and Jayalalithaa people weretheir heirs, he said.

He reiterated that the CM's post is a ''responsibility''and said ''I see everyone here as a CM.'' Palaniswami thanked ''elder brother'' Panneerselvam forearlier announcing him as the party's CM face in the comingpolls and the general council and the executive for endorsingthe same today.