At a meeting of AIADMK’s senior leaders on Monday, the ruling party leadership, after learning about the lukewarm response to its membership drive, has asked the district secretaries to buck up and focus on enrolment. “Though about 70 lakh forms were given away, only about 10% have been filled up and submitted. The district secretaries were asked to wind up membership drive soon,” a senior leader said. During Jayalalithaa’s tenure as party supremo, the party claimed a membership of 1.50 crore. The delay in winding up the membership drive came up for discussion as some leaders underscored the need to start preparation for the local body polls as well as the cooperative societies polls.
In his speech at the party headquarters here, party convenor and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said it was essential to remain united and put up a strong defence against all the claims and allegations made against party functionaries by Sasikala’s nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran.
AIADMK co-convenor and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami also urged the party leaders to remain united given the fluid political situation, sources said.
