AIADMK Starts Work For Tamil Nadu Bypolls

Teams set up by the ruling AIADMK have started work to prepare for by-elections to 20 Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies, party coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said today.

He also rejected reports that Chief Minister K Palaniswami has asked party workers to focus on winning eight of the 20 seats, which have fallen vacant due to disqualification of 18 sitting MLAs and demise of two others.

The Chief Minister had not spoken of winning "four or eight seats which is your guesswork," he told reporters.

The party recently set up teams for overseeing the preparations for the byelections, expected to be notified anytime with the Madras High Court recently vacating its stay on notifying the 18 vacancies while upholding disqualification of as many MLAs loyal to ousted leader TTV Dhinakaran.

Reports had said the AIADMK was keen on winning eight seats to ensure the stability of its government after the bypolls.

Mr Panneerselvam said Mr Palaniswami at a meeting held on November 3 at AIADMK headquarters had spoken of winning all the 20 seats and had urged the office-bearers to work towards it.

"The preparatory poll work is being done by the byelection teams, and in-charges and for sure the AIADMK's victory symbol Two-Leaves will emerge triumphant," he said.

Screening electoral rolls, and interacting with local community leaders and opinion makers are among the tasks that form part of the preparatory poll work by the parties.