BackIs T.T.V. Dhinakaran the emerging face of AIADMK amid feud?
T.T.V. Dhinakaran's sway in Tamil Nadu politics became evident when 19 MLAs withdrew support to the Edapaddi K. Palaniswami govt following the AIADMK merger
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Chennai: Political leaders in Tamil Nadu, a state that has been in the throes of a crisis for the last nine months, appear to be failing fast. In such a scenario, has the sidelined deputy general secretary of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), T.T.V. Dhinakaran, emerged as the latest face of the party that boasts of no fewer than 15 million members?
Earlier this month, Dhinakaran sent out a strong signal by sharing the dais with 20 MLAs at a public meeting near Madurai. And, after chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and deputy chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) announced the merger of their factions to seal the party’s unification, 19 MLAs swearing allegiance to Dhinakaran withdrew support to the chief minister.
By now it was clear that the chaos was deepening, with Dhinakaran gearing up for a harder bargain. On Monday, more than 30 MLAs skipped a party meet chaired by EPS.
Dhinakaran’s nascent rise is, however, no reflection on the leadership of EPS and OPS. A number of his supporters, including ministers, were brought into the AIADMK by his aunt Sasikala’s family and they remained the access points to late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa over three decades. With its proximity to Jayalalithaa, the family expanded its clout through various businesses across the state.
“More than the government, Sasikala’s family is in desperate need of the party to keep their space in Tamil Nadu politics alive," said Ramu Manivannan, professor and head of department of politics and public administration, University of Madras.
The family is in need of protecting its wealth and it requires a more enduring strategy, added Manivannan.
While the Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre is said to have orchestrated the EPS-OPS entente, Dhinakaran went about restructuring the party in order to grab the support of grassroots-level cadres.
“Unfortunately, the BJP has revived Dhinakaran’s fortunes by isolating and hitting him. This has brought him closer to controlling the party," said Manivannan.
The shuffling of the party posts by Dhinakaran— new appointments and removals—over the last two weeks may look immaterial for a party whose very symbol and name are disputed, with the matter lying before the Election Commission. But, for Dhinakaran who is trying to bring the party under his control, the changes in district-level administration would aid in strengthening his base.
Observers agreed that there is a large chunk of supporters for the Sasikala family within the party. “While EPS or OPS could bring together the government along with the legislators, it is difficult to bring the party along," said Manivannan.
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