Separate closed-door meetings and back-to-back parleys on Wednesday over who should head the AIADMK revealed a brewing power struggle between O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami, the party’s two senior leaders.
Posters supporting their leaders, Panneerselvam (OPS) and Palaniswami (EPS), sprouted in different districts of Tamil Nadu ahead of the general and executive council meetings on June 23. OPS supporters protested here at the removal of posters in favor of their leader.
Following discussions with EPS, Dindigul Srinivasan, a prominent AIADMK leader, and former Minister RB Udhayakumar paid a visit to OPS at his home. When asked about the discussions, Mr. Srinivasan assured reporters that they were proceeding well. ‘Wait and see,’ he remarked in response to a query about who will be named the party’s official leader.
He said that EPS would be his choice in terms of who he would support. According to party insiders, OPS and EPS conducted separate meetings with their supporters to discuss how to handle the ‘unitary leadership’ issue.
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Meanwhile, Mr. Panneerselvam turned to Twitter to urge his supporters to “remain calm.” “I respectfully appeal that all AIADMK workers maintain their composure,” the party coordinator added.
At a party meeting on June 14, the major opposition AIADMK reiterated its desire for the party to be headed by a single leader.
OPS followers welcomed him as the political successor of late party supremo J Jayalalithaa, while EPS supporters commended him as the choice of 1.5 crore regular party workers on wall posters. In the past, similar poster battles have occurred.
R Vaithilingam, the party’s deputy coordinator, and JCD Prabhakar met with OPS last night. Vaithilingam, on the other hand, has ruled out any talks with OPS on who should head the party.
While EPS looks to have the upper hand in the party, it remains to be seen whether he can persuade the OPS camp to accept him as the party’s leader.
The party’s general and executive council meetings are anticipated to pass measures to restructure the party’s leadership structure. While talks are ongoing, it is unclear if efforts by Mr. Palaniswami’s supporters to help him gain a top position in the party would succeed or fail ahead of the important party meeting.
After M G Ramachandran’s death, Jayalalithaa led the party created by the legendary M G Ramachandran after he left the DMK. After her conviction in the disproportionate assets case in which Jayalalitha was the principal culprit, she removed OPS.
She appointed EPS as chief minister, while her friend and aide Sasikala were proclaimed party president after her death. However, while she was in prison, EPS and OPS patched things up, dismissed her from the party, and established dual leadership, with OPS as AIADMK Coordinator and EPS as Joint Coordinator. OPS was also appointed as the government’s deputy chief minister by EPS.
Though the Thevar community, to which OPS and Sasikala belong, has had a strong position in AIADMK for decades, his Gounder clan acquired power during his time as Chief Minister of EPS, and EPS brought the party under his control.
Dual leadership has become a political catastrophe. The AIADMK has lost three consecutive elections under its leadership: Lok Sabha elections, assembly elections, and local government elections.
The leadership has also been chastised for playing into the hands of the BJP by forming electoral relations with the party, something Jayalalitha had previously eschewed.
The AIADMK modified its bye-laws in December 2021 to reinforce rules to maintain the current leadership structure of Mr. Panneerselvam and Mr. Palaniswami in the top two positions (Joint coordinator).
