Chennai, Jan 8 (UNI) After kickstarting the election campaign,

the crucial Executive and the General Council meeting of the

ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the highest policy level decision

taking body of the party, would be held here tomorrow to discuss

the strategy to be adopted for the ensuing Assembly elections.

AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam

and Co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami

said all the executive and general council members should 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 last year, was apparently delayed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic and it would be held at a marriage hall

at suburban Vaanagaram tomorrow, AIADMK sources said.

With the party already announcing incumbent Mr 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.

Though both Mr Palaniswami and Mr Panneerselvam had confirmed

that AIADMK's alliance with BJP would continue for the Assembly

polls in the presence of Union Home Minister Amir Shah, the

views of the State BJP leaders that its high command alone

would take a call on the CM candidate has created some ripples

among the AIADMK cadres.

Though political observers see it as a mere posturing move

in a bid to bargain more seats, AIADMK Deputy Coordinator

and former Minister K P Munusamy, speaking at the party's

campaign launch on December 27, bluntly told the saffron

party that there was no question of sharing power or giving

cabinet berths to allies and that Mr Palaniswami would be

the CM candidate in the event of AIADMK winning the polls.

He also said the BJP could rethink its options if it did not

agree to this.

The General Council meeting was also expected to deliberate

on the matter, while devising the strategy for a hat-trick of wins

when the victory streak started in 2011.

The meeting to be presided by party presidium chairman

E Madhusudhanan, would also ratify the formation of

a 11-member steering committee constituted on October

seven last year when the CM candidate was announced.

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