AIADMK Factions Initiate Discussion Over Candidate for Erode East By-poll

AIADMK factions are engaged in separate meetings to discuss the Supreme Court’s direction asking them to select a candidate for the Erode East bypoll through a general council.

Supporters of former chief minister K Palaniswami are confident that the council will recommend the selection of former MLA KS Thennarasu, which has already been announced, as they are numerically strong. The road may not be easy for the rival faction led by another former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

A day after the BJP initiated a friendly and polite dialogue with the two factions of the AIADMK to defeat the AIADMK-backed Congress candidate as they were asked to face the Erode East Assembly bypoll as a single party, Panneerselvam spoke to his supporters. Weigh the pros and cons of meeting together.

A senior party leader claimed that the meeting also discussed the withdrawal of Senthil Murugan’s candidature from the election race keeping in view the consolidation.

In Erode, Palaniswami held a meeting with his supporters on securing the two-leaves symbol and projecting Thennarasu’s candidature for general council meetings to be held on Monday.

A former state minister supporting Palaniswami said the party was not inclined to accept Panneerselvam and his supporters. “Numerically we are strong in the General Council as we have the support of majority of the members,” he told PTI.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the AIADMK to convene a general council to select a candidate for the bypolls to be held on February 27, for which February 7 is the last date for filing nominations.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)