Two months after merger of factions, rivalries hit AIADMK again

Chennai: Rivalries have surfaced once again in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), triggering fears of renewed political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu.

Amid a year-long political chaos, the warring factions led by chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami and contender for the top job O. Panneerselvam buried the hatchet in August, sidelining the aunt-nephew due of V.K. Sasikala and T.T.V. Dhinakaran. Panneerselvam agreed to be deputy chief minister.

However, just two months on, differences seem to resurfaced between the two men. Panneerselvam has been kept away from some of the key policy decisions in the cabinet, according to some senior officials in the Tamil Nadu secretariat.

Last month, the government ignored the names of the bureaucrats suggested by Panneerselvam to be assigned as his secretary and brought in a civil servant from Salem for the job.

“When the demands of someone who was a three-time chief minister and also who was a trusted aide of late J. Jayalalithaa are rejected, one can figure out how insignificant Panneerselvam is, whereas Palaniswami has become more assertive over the months,” said a senior IPS officer who requested anonymity.

Recently, Panneerselvam while talking to reporters in New Delhi after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismissed such reports. “There are no grievances against CM, nor has he with me. He consults me and ministers before taking decisions. I did not discuss politics with the prime minister,” he said.

While the agenda of the meeting on 12 October was said to be coal allocation for TANGEDCO, Tamil Nadu’s power minister P. Thangamani, who is also a close relative of Palaniswami was kept away from the meeting and Rajya Sabha member V. Maitreyan accompanied the deputy CM.

“Though the factions have merged, the members within the party are still referred to as ‘people from Panneerselvam camp or Palaniswami camp’ and the difference is still evident,” said a senior member who is allied with Panneerselvam.

Even as Panneerselvam compromised and agreed to be Palaniswami’s deputy when the factions merged in August, he was expecting to secure a better deal in party affairs. However, in September, the general council of the AIADMK resolved that the late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa would remain as the permanent general secretary of the party. The council nominated Panneerselvam and Palaniswami as coordinator and joint coordinator respectively. It also decided that a steering committee would run the affairs of the party.

In contrast to the general council’s decision, former AIADMK MP K.C. Palanisamy, who was in Panneerselvam’s faction, submitted an affidavit before the Election Commission stating that an election must be held for the post of general secretary.

“Panneerselvam is once bitten, twice shy to rebel. But there are senior members in both camps who are upset with Palaniswami,” said N. Sathiya Moorthy, director of the Chennai chapter of think tank Observer Research Foundation. The rebels, sans Panneerselvam, will wait for an indication from the court, he added.

While a batch of petitions related to the floor test and disqualification of legislators is being heard at the Madras high court, the state’s political crisis remains at the doors of the judiciary. The case has been adjourned to 2 November.