AIADMK, AMMK gear up for civic polls

CHENNAI: The AIADMK and AMMK have started holding internal meetings to work out strategies for the upcoming urban local body polls and the AMMK had started inviting applications from aspiring candidates.

The AIADMK, which is also gearing up for organisational polls, had instructed the party office-bearers to distribute party primary cards to the eligible workers.

AIADMK’s organisational elections

According to AIADMK sources, party coordinator O Panneerselvam and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami had informed the district secretaries to gear up for organisational polls. The duo also warned that action would be taken against functionaries if they fail to issue the primary cards distributed by the party headquarters. Only those with the primary card would be encouraged to vote or contest in the upcoming polls, sources said.

AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran had also urged the party’s district secretaries to gear up for the upcoming civic polls. AMMK headquarters had informed the aspiring candidates to submit application forms on Wednesday. Aspirants can submit the filled-in forms seeking party tickets from the district secretaries, who should keep the party high command posted on the matter. The party ward and district units should start the works related to the civic polls in urban areas, Dhinakaran said.

“We have started holding meetings at divisional level identifying potential candidates, but the eagerness to contest the urban civic polls is relatively low due to multiple factors. Most of the AMMK cadre want VK Sasikala to head the party, but the ousted AIADMK leader is keen on retrieving the AIADMK. This continues to be an issue for the AMMK workers,” said an AMMK district secretary.