CHENNAI: Another factional feud, another official mouthpiece for AIADMK. Amid the escalating internal battle within the party, general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami released the preview edition of ‘Porvaal’, the new official daily newspaper of the AIADMK, at the party’s camp office here on Wednesday.
‘Porvaal’ is the second party organ floated by the AIADMK since the death of former chief minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016.
The launch assumes significance, as the faction led by senior leader C Ve Shanmugam has seized control of the official newspaper and television channel, ‘Namadhu Amma’ and News J, respectively after rebellion broke out following the Assembly elections.
This was visible the day after the confidence vote on May 14, which the Shanmugam faction supported and the Palaniswami group opposed, ‘Namadhu Amma’ did not carry any news about Palaniswami despite listing him as the publisher. Subsequently, Palaniswami’s name was removed and senior leader SP Velumani was named the publisher.
Such episodes are not new in the AIADMK. Till Jaya’s death, ‘Dr Namadhu MGR’, founded by her in 1988, was the singular mouthpiece for the party. But after O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami revolted against her aide-turned-self-anointed successor, VK Sasikala, the rebel duo launched ‘Namadhu Amma’ on February 24, 2018. OPS and EPS, the then party coordinator and co-coordinator of the party, respectively were jointly named as publishers.
Against this backdrop, the launch of ‘Porvaal’ is being viewed as an attempt by the Palaniswami camp to establish an alternative party mouthpiece amid the intensifying power struggle within the AIADMK.