BackAIADMK’s political dilemma in Tamil Nadu leads to instability in governance
AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu government has gone through a series of changes since the demise of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on 5 December
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Chennai: Infighting in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has led to administrative issues in Tamil Nadu. From protests by drought-hit farmers to uncertainty faced by aspirants of medical courses, several issues are plaguing the state administration.
The state government has gone through a series of changes since the demise of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on 5 December, and political chaos within the ruling party continues.
Mint reported in April that the state has become the centre of protests over the last few years as leaders fail to understand the growing aspirations of the people and the situation has worsened in the last few weeks.
Also Read: Why is Tamil Nadu angry?
When farmers of Tamil Nadu were protesting for over 40 days in Delhi, the ruling AIADMK was busy sorting out its faction rivalry, pushing the state into an unstable zone.
Last week, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) working president and leader of the opposition M.K. Stalin said the administration had come to a standstill and had descended into “a coma due to the infighting" within the ruling AIADMK.
“With stagnation in administration, there is a doubt if there is governance at all," Stalin said.
Stalin had also urged speaker P. Dhanapal to immediately convene the assembly to discuss issues such as farm distress and drinking water crisis.
While Tamil Nadu is facing its worst drought in the last 140 years and is now gearing up for a drinking water crisis, minister Sellur K. Raju’s attempts to cover the Vaigai dam with sheets of thermocol—worth Rs10 lakh—in order to curb water loss due to evaporation has drawn much criticism.
Also Read: Is the Tamil Nadu government doing enough for drought-hit farmers?
Led by the DMK, the state went on a day-long strike on Tuesday, urging action on farm distress. On the same day, the Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Association (TNGEA) began its indefinite strike with a set of demands, including the removal of new pension scheme and filling up of vacancies.
As the National Entrance Cum Eligibility Test (NEET) for MBBS and BDS nears, uncertainty looms large for the students of Tamil Nadu, as the two bills passed by the state assembly against common entrance is pending for the President’s assent.
Meanwhile, doctors affiliated to Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association are on mass casual leave across the state, to protest the Madras HC order abolishing 50% reservation quota for government doctors for post-graduate admission in the state. They have threatened to boycott work from 1 May, barring emergencies, if action is not taken.
Also, with over 1.31 lakh local body posts vacant for the past six months, the rural and urban civic bodies in the state are perhaps the best examples of the disarray in the administration. As the five-year tenure of the civic bodies got completed on 24 October last year, special officers—district collectors, corporation commissioners and others— are performing the duties of the corporation council, municipalities and panchayats.
A senior official in the public works department, under chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said: “The administrators are the ones who run the show. While the bureaucrats take all the decision, the ministers have always been the ones who just give a nod. But in the last few months, it is complete paralysis of the state administration."
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