Chennai, June 25 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) is set to chair a crucial meeting on Wednesday with district secretaries and in-charge functionaries of 40 AIADMK district units, as part of an ongoing review of the party’s grassroots restructuring drive.

The sessions will be held in two phases — morning and afternoon — at the party headquarters in Chennai. This comes on the heels of a similar meeting held on Tuesday (June 24), where EPS reviewed progress with secretaries of 42 other district units.

AIADMK currently has 82 district-level party committees, and the two-day exercise marks a significant step in the party’s internal reorganisation efforts ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The key agenda of the meetings is to assess the status of the formation of booth-level committees, particularly focusing on inducting more youth into these grassroots panels.

EPS has set a deadline of July 10 for all district secretaries and in-charge officers to complete the process and submit detailed reports.

During Tuesday’s meeting, some district-level leaders raised concerns about the strict norms prescribed for forming the nine-member booth committees.

As per the guidelines, each panel must include at least three women members and one representative from the youth wing. A few secretaries also requested that EPS consider relaxing the age cap of 45 years for youth wing eligibility, citing challenges in identifying suitable candidates. However, EPS reportedly stood firm on the guidelines, urging all functionaries to adhere to the existing norms and complete the exercise without delay.

He emphasised the importance of disciplined and inclusive organisational restructuring to strengthen the party at the booth level.

Sources said that several district functionaries highlighted practical hurdles, including reluctance among women members and their families to provide personal information and photographs, which has slowed down the formation process in some regions.

The booth committee drive is seen as a critical step in AIADMK’s strategy to rebuild its grassroots machinery after consecutive electoral setbacks.

The party, which has entered into a political alliance with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, is preparing for a major electoral comeback in 2026 after poor performances in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the 2021 Assembly elections, and the recently concluded 2024 general elections.

By focusing on youth inclusion, gender representation, and grassroots mobilisation, Palaniswami is looking to energise the party base and take on the ruling DMK-led alliance, which currently dominates the state’s political landscape.

–IANS

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