Poll results may decide ministers’ future in state

According to highly placed AIADMK insiders, there is strong dissent growing in the party within the old-timers and the incumbent ministers.

The party old-timers and a few seasoned leaders are waiting for their chance to pull the current state ministers and district secretaries if the results go in favour of the Opposition DMK. The situation is such that lately the voice against the ministers had been growing within the party.

Former AIADMK minister Raja Kanappan based in Sivaganga was the last person to openly charge against the AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami and party coordinator O Panneerselvam alleging that the party top brass was doing mistake after mistake by selecting wrong alliances and fielding candidates of their choice, insiders who were witness to the recent confidential meetings at AIADDMK headquarters told DT Next.

MLAs, who were former ministers during the times of Jayalalithaa, were also unhappy. Some of the regional heavyweights like E Madhusudhanan of Chennai, former Chennai mayor Saidai S Duraisami, R Vaithilingam who handles the party affairs in Delta region, PH Pandian, who has a clout in southern Tamil Nadu, KP Munusamy, who is fighting for the Krishnagiri Lok Sabha seat, former minister Thoppu Venkatachalam of Erode are among the AIADMK top leaders holding a grudge against the current council of ministers, sources said.

“We are just keeping our lips tight for the counting to end. If the elections are in our favour then there will be celebrations, otherwise, the decisions related to the elections will be raked up,” said an AIADMK MLA.

There is an additional preference given to ministers from the western region and this will definitely flare up within party, the MLA based in south Tamil Nadu said.

“Without the presence of charismatic and strong Jayalalithaa, this is a major maiden experiment for our party. The poll outcome will play a major role for the party leaders to assess their performance,” said Poonganagar Selvam, a functionary with MGR Mandram.

We are hoping that the government will continue, but there are certainly a few issues affectingthe party.

Party cadres and functionaries will think beyond the polls and will want the party to thrive. The results will indicate the performance of current office bearers at every ward to the district level and there should be corrections. Former chief minister Jayalalithaa would correct the mistakes and will not hesitate to chuck out the non-performers. Only if the current leadership take such measures, the party will become stronger in the days to come, Selvam opined.

“Giving of seats to political heirs had not gone well among many MPs. The AIADMK had 37 MPs and any reduction in this numbers will reverberate within the party,” said an AIADMK spokesperson wishing not to be quoted.