Chennai: AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has reportedly issued a firm message to the party’s district secretaries and former ministers: ministerial positions will be considered only if they ensure victory in all constituencies within their districts.
According to party functionaries, the AIADMK has formed an alliance with 12 parties, including the BJP, PMK and AMMK, for the Assembly election. The AIADMK is contesting 166 seats directly, and Palaniswami is said to be rolling out multiple strategies aimed at securing a change of government.
The functionaries said Palaniswami has extended support not only to AIADMK candidates but also to alliance nominees, and asked district-level leaders to take the campaign message effectively to voters. However, complaints have allegedly reached him that some former ministers and district secretaries have not executed the plan uniformly across constituencies.
The allegations include uneven distribution of election “gift items” across seats—higher-value items in leaders’ own constituencies and lower-value items in other constituencies, including alliance seats. Specific complaints were cited from districts such as Tiruvallur and Villupuram, including claims that distribution targets were not fully met in some areas.
Following these reports, Palaniswami is said to have warned that even former ministers would not be accommodated in the Cabinet unless they deliver victories across all constituencies in their districts, and that leaders who falter at the last minute would face strict consequences.
