Chennai, June 27 (IANS) The AIADMK has stepped up its organisational preparations ahead of the forthcoming Assembly bye-elections by convening a key meeting of its women’s wing on July 1 at the party headquarters in Royapettah.

The meeting, to be chaired by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, is expected to focus on strengthening the party’s grassroots network and expanding the role of women in its political and organisational activities across Tamil Nadu.

The meeting will bring together state-level office-bearers of the women’s wing, district women’s wing secretaries from all organisational districts and other senior functionaries.

Party leaders have directed all invited members to attend the meeting, underlining its importance in the AIADMK’s preparations for the next phase of political activity.

According to party sources, the discussions will centre on reviewing the functioning of the women’s wing and identifying measures to make it more effective in mobilising support at the grassroots level.

The leadership is expected to emphasise greater participation by women cadres in organisational programmes, membership drives and public outreach initiatives. The women’s wing is also expected to play a significant role in the party’s campaign strategy for the upcoming Assembly bypolls.

Leaders are likely to discuss ways to mobilise women voters, strengthen booth-level coordination and ensure the active participation of women cadres during election campaigning. Strategies for expanding the party’s presence among women across urban and rural areas are also expected to come up for discussion.

The meeting is also likely to deliberate on future protest programmes and public campaigns highlighting what the AIADMK describes as the shortcomings and failures of the ruling State government.

Party functionaries are expected to formulate a statewide action plan that will assign the women’s wing a prominent role in agitation programmes, awareness campaigns and other political initiatives in the coming months.

The July 1 meeting assumes added significance as it follows the AIADMK’s large-scale women’s wing conference held earlier this year, which was widely viewed as an effort to energise women cadres ahead of the electoral season.

The party leadership now appears keen to build on that momentum by giving the women’s wing greater organisational responsibilities and a more visible role in its political campaigns as it intensifies preparations for the upcoming electoral contests in the State.

–IANS

aal/rad