In the first major meeting of over 150 ruling party leaders, including district secretaries, functionaries in party headquarters and spokespersons since the R.K. Nagar Assembly bypoll, the AIADMK leadership discussed ways and means to strengthen its rank-and-file, besides looking into the reasons behind its loss in the bypoll.
However, no decision was taken on who would be part of the 11-member steering committee that was announced earlier. No decision was taken on expanding the party units from 51 districts to 65 districts either, party sources said.
“But, we could feel something is brewing in the party, as convenor O. Panneerselvam, co-convenor Edappadi K. Palaniswami, presidium chairman E. Madhusudanan and leaders K.P. Munusamy and R. Vaithilingam had a closed-door meeting. Later on, Ministers P. Thangamani and S.P. Velumani joined the meeting,” a source said.
Though the contents of the letter by Mr. Madhusudanan after his defeat in the recent bypoll in R.K. Nagar were not discussed at the meeting, the top brass took note of it and intended to take serious action, a party leader said.
As for filling up the posts which were earlier occupied by supporters of Mr. Dhinakaran, who have been removed, it was decided that a committee from the district units, in consultation with the party leadership, would fill up those posts.
This time, it was felt, that party leaders could be frank in their suggestions on how the party can be strengthened.
