Chennai: The rift within AIADMK continued on Sunday as rebel leaders S P Velumani, C Ve Shanmugham and Natham R Viswanathan boycotted a district secretaries’ meeting in Chennai chaired by general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.Local body elections formed a major part of the discussion in the meeting. Party functionaries said EPS had told them that there was no sign of by elections in the state, but local body elections could be held after six months. “He pointed out that the AIADMK had polled strongly in several rural areas and said this support base should be consolidated. At the same time, district units were asked to focus on local body seats across all regions,” a former AIADMK minister who attended the meeting said. The meeting was held at the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah.AIADMK leaders who participated in the meeting downplayed the absence of the three rebel leaders, saying it was expected. Though invitations were extended to all senior leaders in addition to district secretaries, the three rebel leaders chose to stay away, said partymen.EPS too avoided talking about the rift in the party. Instead, he asked district secretaries to strengthen the party at the grassroots, complete pending organisational appointments and prepare for the local body elections.More than 26 new district secretaries have been appointed in recent months. EPS told them that the party should now move to the next phase of organisational work and expand its presence across local units.“EPS wanted public meetings to be arranged across town panchayats, wards, unions and villages. The focus has to be on strengthening the organisation from the ground level,” a district secretary from southern Tamil Nadu said. Palaniswami also directed district secretaries to complete pending appointments of district-level and state-level functionaries.The meeting also discussed Anna’s birth anniversary. Sources said the emphasis on Anna came in the backdrop of the ruling TVK invoking his name in govt schemes and public programmes. “AIADMK carries Anna’s name and the party should give proper importance to commemorating him,” the leader said.
