Merger of AIADMK factions will usher in many changes

While the AIADMK (A) was the first to talk of a merger, functionaries like deputy speaker M Thambidurai and Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam, who earlier lam-basted former chief minister and AIADMK (PTA) leader O Panneerselvam for his ‘betrayal’, were also the first to accept  the idea. 

While both sides have stated they would form committees to discuss the issue with the other camp, Rajya Sabha MP Dr V Maitreyan categorically stated that it was for “them to start the committee soon as they were the first movers of the merger talk. We will form a committee when the need arises.”

However, what pushed the AIADMK (A) faction to a merger was mere survival. When asked about this, Prof Dr Ramu Manivannan, HOD, Political Science, Madras University, said, “They want a merger to ensure that their power is not taken away. State governance is very far from their minds right now.” 

Elaborating he said, “Amma faction wants to safeguard themselves from various cases. And they know that antipathy towards the Sasikala family will turn the public mood against them. While OPS went about this gracefully, Amma faction dumping TTV Dinakaran and V K Sasikala only reveals their desperation.”

While the merger will ensure a new candidate for the RK Nagar by-poll, rumours doing the rounds are about who will be the Chief Minister and who the party General Secretary. Though the grapevine is that OPS would become the CM and EPS his deputy, PTA faction member C Ponnaiyan had earlier told this paper that “while AIADMK (A) wants the government, AIADMK (PTA) wants the party.” In other words, the party General Secretary post is powerful as the incumbent decides on who runs the government.

But the present mood seems to be to ensure that the present ministerial hierarchy is not changed. “This will mollify those from the Kongu belt, whose long pending grievance was that most ministerial berths went to the Mukulathoor community (which OPS belongs to), de-spite their superior numbers,” said political analyst T George.

Though hard bargaining is expected by both sides, the fact that “the majority AIADMK (A) gravitated towards the minority AIADMK (PTA) is sign enough that OPS will ultimately call the shots given that he has already tasted victory and that his rivals need to safeguard them-selves. Events over the next two days would reveal the truth.