With state elections just months away, the general council of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu today empowered party coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, and joint coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, to decide on the poll alliances and strategy.
In what is seen as yet another terse message to the BJP, its resolutions - which endorsed the chief ministerial candidature of Edappadi Palaniswami, more popularly known as EPS - were silent on the continuation of alliance recently announced by both the leaders at a government function attended by BJP leader Amit Shah.
Rifts are apparent as the BJP has also not given a confirmation amid indications of demands of power-sharing in the state.
AIADMK MP and senior leader Munusamy, who had last month made it clear his party won't play a second fiddle, today reiterated saying: "National parties don't matter in Tamil Nadu".
Ahead of the release of ousted and jailed AIADMK chief and ex-chief minister Jayalalithaa's close aide V K Sasikala from Bengaluru jail, the senior leader in a tacit reference, to her said: "Her release will have no impact on the AIADMK. She will have a thousand problems."
The AIADMK-BJP alliance suffered a near rout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The ruling party, however, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the state elections.
EPS was handpicked by Sasikala to replace OPS after her attempts to replace him after Jayalalithaa died is trying for a second term.
Today's general council meeting was held in Chennai. The entire stretch from Chennai was dotted with hundreds of cadre, flags, posters and hoardings leading too massive traffic disruption.
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