Chennai: Though more than a year is left for the Assembly elections, the ruling AIADMK has started the groundwork to make the party apparatus ready to face the crucial battle.
Today, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, who are the joint coordinator and coordinator of the AIADMK, respectively, held a meeting with senior leaders at the party headquarters here to discuss election strategies.
According to sources, the discussions will go on for the next few days. ”On the first day, 14 out of 56 districts of the AIADMK were called for the meeting. Party managers from Karur, Thanjavur north, Thanjavur south, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai and Perambalur were present during today’s meeting,” sources added.
Besides district heads, Ministers, MPs, MLAs and headquarters office-bearers also attended the meeting, during which various things including strategies to face polls and alliance were discussed.
The meeting with AIADMK seniors from central Tamilnadu comes a day after Palaniswami on Sunday said eight Cauvery delta districts including the rice bowl, Thanjavur, will be categorised as a special protected agricultural zone and assured that permission will not be given for hydrocarbon projects.
Asserting that steps will be taken to enact a separate law to confer the protected status to the delta districts, he said here that only agro-based industries will be encouraged on a need basis in the river Cauvery fed regions.
AIADMK cadres and supporters see the move as a leap forward in its pro-farmer initiatives and something which turned the tables on DMK that had picked this issue to target both the ruling party and the Centre.
On opposition from farmers to oil exploration and extraction projects in the delta region, Palaniswami said he understood the travails of ryots since he himself was a farmer.
The Chief Minister said the apprehension of farmers and agricultural labourers that their livelihood may be affected due to ”hydrocarbon like projects”, was fair.
The Cauvery delta region, spread over about 28 lakh acres produced 33 lakh metric tonnes of food grains and farmers were continuing their work despite natural calamities like the deluge witnessed in 2017 and 2018, he noted.
Pointing to the emotional bond the people have with the Cauvery delta region antedating the times of great Chola ruler Karikala, he said: ”I would like to make a historic announcement to protect the Cauvery delta region and thwart impediments to agriculture.”
To guard the delta areas and end farmers’ ordeals, special protection will be bestowed on Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Karur and Tiruchirappalli districts, he said.
DMK calls for district heads meet
DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan today said the party’s district secretaries meet will be held at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam in the city at 5 pm on 17 February. It will be chaired by party president M K Stalin and the topic of discussion will be intra-party polls, he added.