Chennai: Ruling party steps up poll work for 20 bypoll seats

CHENNAI: Amidst an accusation by the opposition parties that the AIADMK is scared to face the by-elections, the ruling party has stepped up consultation on identifying functionaries for each constituency, according to a source in the party.

The party has stepped up its poll related work and on Sunday state ministers and key functionaries fanned out to various parts of the State to motivate the cadres to strive for victory in all the 20 Assembly constituencies.

Party senior and Srivaikundam MLA Shanmuganatham has asserted that the AIADMK would win all the 20 seats and that there are no sleeper cells as claimed by AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. "We have bright prospects to win all the 20 Assembly constituencies …sleeper cells are with Dhinakaran now," he told reporters in Thoothukudi on Sunday.

Party's chairman presidium E. Madhusudhanan said Dhinakaran does not have any locus standi to criticise the AIADMK and he is no longer with the party. "The cadres, who are the pulse of the party will give a befitting reply to Dhinakaran who can't do anything now," Mr. Madhusudhanan said after launching the distribution of Nilavembu kashayam for fishermen at Kasimedu here on Sunday.

Though the opposition DMK was the first to form poll-incharge, the party's treasurer Duraimurugan expressed doubt over whether the by-elections would be held. PMK leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss claimed that the by-elections were likely to be held along with the Lok Sabha election next 
year. 

While addressing his party poll incharge on Saturday, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was said to have advised them to be prepared to face the election whenever it was announced and to strive hard for the victory in all the 20 seats. Palaniswami who is AIADMK’s joint coordinator told the gathering that improving the tally of legislators (from the present 116 in the 234 member Assembly) would help the party attain absolute majority to counter any threats from the DMK.