General body meet and Sasi release, more challenges await AIADMK

Holding the annual general body meeting before December and the release of VK Sasikala is the next two important events for the party leaders to handle, AIADMK insiders said. “If the AIADMK wins the upcoming Assembly polls of 2021, Edappadi K Palaniswami will continue as the Chief Minister, but if the party loses who will be the leader of the opposition,” is the common question making rounds among AIADMK workers, said a ruling party MLA.

 For now, the party has resolved the issues and there will not be any problem for the next two months, but there are several sections of leaders upset with the party for not giving a fair representation in the recently announced steering committee. “The MLAs representing the Mudhaliyar and Dalit communities. Then the women office-bearers in AIADMK feel neglected after the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa,” a former district secretary said. Former women ministers like Valarmathi and Gokula Indira are committed to the party right from the days of MGR and Amma and such people should be given prominence in the party, the former legislator opined.

 Though party coordinator OPS was keen that the party steering committee should have seniors who are not ministers or enjoying power, EPS was keen that the ministers should be part of the committee to make it financially strong so that the committee can also pitch in for the poll-related expenses for party, a senior said.

 He also noted that release of Sasikala will be a big political event for united AIADMK to sail through though majority are unwilling for the merger of AMMK with AIADMK, the party senior noted.

 The recent announcement has helped AIADMK silence the criticism raised by DMK. But party seniors are feeling neglected, this should be addressed ahead of the next Assembly polls, opined Poonga Nagar Selvam, a north Chennai MGR Mandram functionary.

 Further, the party has a lot of aspiring women workers and councillor aspirants. They are also upset for not holding the local body elections, Selvam said. “Our party workers are now waiting for the general council to convene and it usually convenes in December,” he added 

 DMK might do well to keep its house in order before firing salvos at the ruling AIADMK led front. Even as the principal opposition party was criticising the ‘election’ of Edappadi K Palaniswami as the chief ministerial candidate of AIADMK, one of its allies congratulated the CM for the same. KMDK (Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Kazhagam) general secretary ER Eswaran has “wholeheartedly” wished EPS for being fielded as the CM candidate of the ruling front, which another ally CPI has criticised. The message posted by the KMDK leader on social media, tagging the CM’s official Twitter handle, has taken the DMK by surprise. Though one could construe the message of KMDK as motivated by political etiquette or rather caste allegiance (Both EPS and Eswaran belong to Gounder community), the message did not fail to disturb peace in DMK circles.

 Murmurs were heard as to how the KMDK could wish the rival at a time when the DMK chief has called the agreement reached between the CM and his deputy as an understanding to make the most of the remaining six months of the regime. Murmurs were audible in the DMK circles on whether the KMDK needs them for seats and rivals for caste.