AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) will restart his constituency-wise outreach tour at the end of November, likely on November 27 or 28, commencing from the Tiruvallur district in northern Tamil Nadu.

The campaign had been on hold following the tragic stampede in Karur which claimed 41 lives.  The upcoming leg will span several remaining districts including Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Erode and Kanniyakumari, averaging about two constituencies per day until completion.

Main themes of the tour — branded “Makkalai Kappom; Tamizhagathai Meetpom” (Let’s protect the people; Let’s meet Tamil Nadu) — include deteriorating law and order, inflation, corruption, dynastic politics and industrial stagnation.  In the next phase, the focus will shift towards the “struggles of the common man”, emphasising issues of living conditions, basic amenities and public safety.

On the alliance front, informal talks between the AIADMK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) are advancing well. PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss recently expressed his preference for EPS as the next Chief Minister during a hospital meeting.  At the same time, other parties in the broader NDA fold remain unsettled, with several expected to formalise their stands only in January.

Meanwhile, EPS is firm that expelled AL-assignment leaders such as O. Panneerselvam and T. T. V. Dhinakaran will not be taken back into the party, signalling a clear stance on party discipline ahead of the election battle.