AIADMK’s Royal Rumble

CHENNAI: The followers of AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami are busy making last-minute efforts to ensure that the party’s General Council meeting on July 11 ends on a happy note.

For, much is at stake for the EPS supporters, whose prime agenda is to restore the single leadership in the party and crown their leader, former Chief Minister EPS, as the next general secretary. However, the party coordinator and three-time Chief Minister O Paneerselvam is a ‘never-say-die challenger’, and the political wrestling which started after the demise of charismatic Jayalalithaa in 2016 has now again run into legal turmoil.

Since the days of AIADMK founder MGR and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the party’s USP had always been single leadership. The party, known for its powerful single leadership, switched to dual leadership to keep the party united and to ward off threats from Sasikala and her ilk.

However, the party is now battered with faction feuds with one section led by EPS demanding single leadership and the other section led by OPS demanding a status quo and continuation of the dual leadership.

Under these circumstances, DT Next takes a look at the rank and profile of the AIADMK to explain who is what in the party and their strength and weakness. Who its next general secretary will be and who will lead the party is for the cadres and voters to decide, but, as of date, the Royal Rumble in the AIADMK revolves around five important characters, all claiming to be the followers of MGR and Jayalalithaa. Let’s make an analysis of their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT).

Imaging by : Saai