EPS's leadership put to test as rumblings in AIADMK spill over

CHENNAI: The outbursts of some senior leaders, both ex-ministers in the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government, have sparked a serious debate within the party and in political circles.

According to informed highly placed sources, a strong dissent had surfaced in the party, with the district secretaries and other office-bearers crossing swords over party posts.

While several veterans and senior leaders want internal party elections to be held for posts in different wings, district secretaries insist on the nomination process for the same.

Former minister and senior AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan’s open displeasure over the absence of pictures of former chief ministers and party leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa in posters and banners at the felicitation of AIADMK general secretary and former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami in Coimbatore organised by farmers in connection with the implementation of the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme was one of the testimonies to the disenchantment.

Though the Erode strongman downplayed his decision to stay away from the programme, his actions spoke volumes. “This is the result of the growing anger over Palaniswami’s decision to boycott the Erode East assembly constituency, which is Sengottaiyan’s home ground. He had insisted that Palaniswami field a candidate for the February 5 byelection and had assured that the party would put up a strong performance. But Palaniswami stood his ground. While this projected Sengottaiyan as a weak leader in his constituency, cadres too were demoralised,” a source close to Sengottaiyan revealed.

Adding to insult to injury was Minister S Regupathy’s remark, suggesting that AIADMK sympathisers had voted in large numbers for the DMK in the bypoll – something that had not happened before.

“It’s not just about Sengottaiyan. Many long-standing senior leaders also feel sidelined by Palaniswami’s decision to appoint his loyalists to key positions,” said another party functionary.

Senior women leaders, B Valarmathi and S Gokula Indira, strongly expressed their resentment at recent meetings, voicing concerns that women leaders were not being given the prominence they used to get during the tenure of Jayalalithaa.

Video footage of Gokula Indira expressing her anger during the party’s field-level study in Chennai a few days ago was another proof of seniors unhappy with Palaniswami’s ‘autocratic’ decisions.

Women leaders have also expressed frustration over the appointment of turncoats like Gautami Tadimalla, who joined the AIADMK in February last year and was appointed party propaganda deputy secretary a few months ago. Furthermore, they pointed out that individuals like ‘Tada’ Periasamy, Maithreyan, and several others – who either recently joined the party or are loyal to Palaniswami – were awarded plum posts, even as biggies like Anwar Raja have been sidelined and left in obscurity.

The list of ‘ignored leaders’ seems to be long with even seniors like Rajan Chellappa, Sevvur Ramachandran and Udumalai K Radhakrishnan not getting the prominence they deserve in party affairs.

However, party spokesperson and Palaniswami loyalist D Jayakumar stated that if there are any grievances, they should take them up with the party leader. But, these explanations were not enough to quell the discontentment among functionaries with the leadership. As one senior leader quipped, “There’s no smoke without fire!”