Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam held meetings with Ministers at the Secretariat on Monday.
The two, who jointly head the AIADMK, conducted a group meeting with Cabinet colleagues, followed by consultations with each other, and then held discussions with individual Ministers.
The over four-hour-long meetings with Ministers lasted till about 9 p.m., multiple sources confirmed.
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Issues ranging from departmental subjects to the AIADMK’s performance in the recently-concluded rural local body elections were discussed.
Range of issues
“Ministers were asked about the performance in their respective districts and departments. Intra-party issues, if any, in the Ministers’ districts were also discussed,” sources said.
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Although the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP was said to have been discussed with a few Ministers, some claimed the discussion was restricted to Ministers known to voice their opinions in public fora.
In districts where the AIADMK’s performance had been either marginal or poor, the Chief Minister and the Deputy CM sought to know from the Ministers the changes that could be effected, sources said.
“In some districts, there were some intra-party misunderstandings and doubts, which the Ministers explained. The CM and Deputy CM patiently listened to them,” said a source.
Assumes significance
Except for some senior Ministers, considered to be part of the inner circle, all other Ministers had meetings with the AIADMK coordinator and co-coordinator.
Besides party affairs, department-specific issues like funding and the implementation of government schemes in various districts were discussed. The meetings with Ministers are considered important, as these are the first such meetings since the rural local body polls were held and the party issued a gag order on alliance matters.
The strategy to be adopted for the urban local body elections was also discussed, said a party source.