The stage is set for the unanimous re-election of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for yet another term as AIADMK general secretary, with the party announcing the schedule for the election.
Nominations will be accepted between Wednesday and Saturday, and scrutiny will be done on August 27. Polling, if necessary, will be held on August 29, and the result will be declared the same day. Party organising secretary Visalakshi Nedunchezhian will supervise the process.
Party sources say the AIADMK has an estimated 1.5 crore enrolled members who are eligible to vote directly to choose their general secretary in case of an election. However, with Ms. Jayalalithaa remaining the sole candidate, no formal voting is likely.
The party rule stipulates that the election must be held for general secretary at least once in five years. The election was held previously in 2008. But, the general council meeting held at the end of 2013 unanimously decided that the election for general secretary, and also the organisational elections, be held after the Lok Sabha elections. That explains the delay in the polls, the sources say.
Once the election for general secretary is over, the polls to fill positions at the other levels will be completed by September or October. Most of the candidates will be unanimous choices based on the directions of Ms. Jayalalithaa, the sources say.
