2 years in office, euphoria missing in AIADMK camp

When former chief minister J Jayalalithaa died, even the ardent AIADMK supporter did not hope that the government will survive even for few months. But, the party’s government had lasted for two full years despite the split, infighting and a defeat in the only bypoll it faced.

The firing incident had come at the most inopportune moment for the party which is gearing up to explain the Supreme Court’s final verdict on Cauvery which formed a Cauvery Water Management Authority instead of the Cauvery Management Board for which the state was fighting for more than a decade.

AIADMK organising secretary and senior functionary JCD Prabhakar said, “The party will establish connect with the people before the Parliament elections. Our only failure is that we did not take our achievements to the people and present our struggle within the democratic ambits on all issues including Cauvery and NEET. We will go to the people to counter the allegations that we are acting as agents of the BJP government at the Centre.”

Recalling Jayalalithaa’s death, party split and merger issues, he said the party lost much time in governance due to the turbulence and it will cover the required ground in the third year. AIADMK’s third year in office would depend on the court cases and the Centre’s attitude, according to political analyst Govi Lenin.

Discounting the possibility of the government’s fall due to people’s resentment, he said, “People’s anger or mishandling of the government will not lead to its fall. Besides, the party is not going to face elections in near future and the next elections will be the Parliament polls only.”

At the moment, the verdict in the appeal by 18 MLAs supporting Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran against their disqualification by Speaker P Dhanapal is eagerly awaited by its opponents.