“Efforts are on to resolve the issue,” senior AIADMK spokesperson C Ponnaiyan told TOI. “At least 70% of the office-bearers feel that the party should transition to a single leadership structure. In the June 14 meeting, the issue was raised not by the EPS or the OPS but by the office-bearers, as they felt that the same leader can be more authoritative and bring discipline,” Ponnaiyan said.
In their pre-patch up pact in 2017, the two leaders had chosen to shun animosity for the sake of party unity and prevent takeover attempts by J Jayalalithaa’s aide VK Sasikala. But there is a difference in the battle for leadership then and now. In 2017, the EPS was in a position of strength after Jayalalithaa’s death and Sasikala’s captivity, taking over the administrative post. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. The carrots hanging in front of the OPS were the posts of Deputy CM and AIADMK convener. With the AIADMK losing the April 2021 assembly election, party politics now matters more and with the reins of control seem to be in the hands of the OPS, the EPS camp has become restless.
A senior AIADMK leader said, “The issue of leadership has a lot to do with the politics of power and who is bigger and stronger.” An EPS loyalist, who asked for anonymity, said that with the disarray in the AIADMK alliance and relatively small allies exhibiting single leadership, the demand for a switch from dual leadership to single leader for the AIADMK in the EPS camp was intensified. the wanted.
The BJP’s continued growth in Tamil Nadu and the fact that its state leader K Annamalai, himself a Vellalar Gounder, is fueling political frenzy, is believed to be causing some uneasiness among EPS loyalists. “The complete control of DMK by Chief Minister MK Stalin, grooming of successor Udayanidhi Stalin, the recent appointment of Anbumani Ramadoss as PMK President and political development of NTK leader Seeman may have created an existential crisis in AIADMK and even more so. in EPS. camp,” Palaniswami supporter said.
While the EPS leadership has remained silent on the controversy so far, his supporter and former minister D Jayakumar briefed reporters at the AIADMK meeting on June 14, detailing the discussion on the issue. It was clearly stage managed. “He had no business doing that,” Ops said. “Firstly, the issue of single leadership was not on the agenda. It rained on me. Also, there is no need for this debate now as the party coordinator and joint coordinator were re-appointed recently. All this is bound to create confusion,” said the AIADMK coordinator. Panneerselvam gave interviews to the media with a vengeance, expressing his anger at the attempts to oust him from the leadership role in the party.
“But the dual leadership structure is only a temporary arrangement. The general council is a powerful body, which can take a decision to end the coordinator-joint coordinator arrangement or to appoint a general secretary or abolish the post,” said Ponnaiyan, who also added that all this is only at a discussion stage. . Can AIADMK tolerate partition now? During the tenure of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, after Jayalalithaa, the two leaders maintained a tense cordiality. But the current leadership crisis could overwhelm the party if it ends in a split. The OPS is known to turn to its supporters in the BJP for help in times of crisis.
“Setting our eyes on Tamil Nadu for 2024” Lok Sabha Elections are the last thing the BJP will want in an AIADMK chaos. It is bound to reach out to both the leaders and advise them to fix their house,” said a senior AIADMK leader. Some expect a more compromise formula. But if the status quo does not continue, it will be interesting to see who emerges the winner – the EPS, the Raja of the Gounder Belt, who has more support from senior functionaries, or the OPS, a Thevar community leader, who is believed to have more cadre support.