AIADMK MP nominees spirits down as top brass not acting on ‘lazy’ MLAs

“Amma’s absence and the lack of councillors has forced party candidates to rely completely on district secretaries. Also, as CM Edappadi K Palaniswami does not inspire fear, it is affecting the poll campaign in north Tamil Nadu,” rued a former MP who is also a poll manager for two seats in north TN.

South Chennai MP Jayarvardhan had also reached out to seniors in the party and cried foul against the behavioural change among workers post the demise of late Chief minister J Jayalalithaa, sources said.

In south Chennai, the party was keen to appoint office-bearers for poll duty, but due to resistance from district-level functionaries, the appointment of party poll managers was put on hold, sources explained.

The situation is similar in north Chennai, where the local minister D Jayakumar maintains a distance with the AIADMK candidate RS Rajesh, who is contesting in Perambur bypoll.

Former AIADMK leader Raja Kannappan, who recently changed his allegiance to DMK, told reporters on Wednesday that there was no order in the party. He also alleged that the AIADMK leaders were focussed only on running the government and not saving the party. “I joined the AIADMK in 1972 during the time of MGR, but I have left the party as there is no order in the party and voices of AIADMK leaders are not heard by the council of ministers. This will adversely affect the party in the coming polls,” Kannappan told reporters.

“Even during Jayalalithaa’s days there were several factions, and she herself encouraged factions within the party, but she was the only leader. Today the party has dual leadership under CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and party convenor O Panneerselvam and this will certainly lead to internal problems within the party,” observed political commentator Raveendran Duraisamy.

“AIADMK is marred by internal feud and more party workers will join us after the Lok Sabha polls. Already 95 per cent of the cadres are with us and more party workers will soon accept the leadership of our party leader TTV Dhinakaran,” said AMMK north Chennai candidate Santhanakrishnan.