Rajini, Kamal, TTV cutting into AIADMK membership pie?

Party insiders noted that the membership recruitment and renewal occurring once in five years used to resemble a festival in the party with camps throughout the state busy in receiving people who zealously queue up to join the party.

“Even before the one-month deadline, party functionaries used to visit the headquarters with filled forms and the money required for membership fee,” one of the functionaries recalled. But the scene is different this year.

The membership cards too have changed in appearance from that given in 2014, the last time when such an exercise was taken up. The cards signed by the then general secretary J Jayalalithaa which was carried with pride by the party cadre had given place to plastic cards with the signatures of party coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami. The application forms for new members were distributed in February, but there is not much progress despite extension for

three months.

The scenario in the rival Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and the yet to be launched party by actor Rajinikanth looks different. Actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam too is picking up members slowly but steadily.

The opposition DMK is busy setting its organisation right, sorting out the differences in the district units and activating the cadre. It usually takes up membership recruitment before the party elections from the grass roots to the top level.

Rajinikanth’s yet to be named outfit seems to be one of the certain beneficiaries of the AIADMK’s declining membership. One of the key functionaries of Rajinikanth’s forum in the city said.

“We have been asked to form one branch for three streets with a membership of 30. We need to add ten members in every street. The fixed target is two crore and we are confident of attaining 1.5 crore members before launching the party. People are receiving us with enthusiasm and our leader gets support cutting across caste, religion and language.”

Compared to Rajinikanth’s forum, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam with experienced local and district leaders are methodical and systematic in their approach. The party leadership had formed teams at the taluk level and conducting a door to door campaign, besides holding camps and activist meetings. The taluk teams are supervised by district level functionaries who rectify the mistakes and guide the local teams.

An AMMK functionary in Tambaram said, “The fixed target is 15,000 to 90,000 in each constituency and the party aims at two crore out of the 5.95 crore voters in the state. We are confident of adding at least one crore members. We are very particular in avoiding fake members even if it means reduction in membership. Youth who have not been members in any party, besides minorities and women are keen to join our party”.