AIADMK boss Edappadi faces simmering discontent among second-rung leaders

CHENNAI: Going by the resolutions passed at the urgent Executive Committee meeting of opposition AIADMK on Friday, all things are bright and beautiful. “But, there is simmering discontent within the party with second rung leaders remaining tight lipped about it as they do not want to antagonise the all-powerful AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. The resolutions passed were important, but the silence is a serious threat to the party resulting in dwindling vote share. To boost the vote share and strengthen party, no concrete steps have been taken over the past two years despite the party badly losing a few elections,” said a former AIADMK MLA.

“The media had been hyping about the dissent in the party and expect the same to reflect openly in the meetings. This is politics and not many openly get exposed by reacting against the leadership,” another AIADMK senior noted. Though our leader EPS is clear that there is no room for ousted AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala, but there is a serious need for grass root changes and strengthening of rural local body posts. Replacement of non-performing functionaries ranging from town panchayat secretaries to district secretaries had been pending for years. Adding to this there are more than 10,000 crucial rural level party posts lying vacant, the AIADMK senior noted.

“Though EPS is upset with district secretaries over their poor performance in the last Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly polls, due to the factional feud with OPS and Sasikala, no action had been taken till date affecting the organisational set up of the party,” the functionary said.

Senior AIADMK leader Anwar Rajaa said the opposition AIADMK which faced defeat in previous polls will bounce back in the upcoming civic polls scheduled for November this year, provided if there are some changes within the party.

‘Fill Ooratchi Seyalar posts’

“Our party leader EPS had asked us to evolve strategies that will help the party to bounce back to power in 2026 Assembly polls. I have already made a few recommendations to my leader EPS and one of the suggestions is to fill about 12,500 panchayat secretaries (Ooratchi Seyalar) posts that were once filled by Amma Jayalalithaa,” he said.

“Each ooratchi will cover four to 12 villages and these units were very strong during the days of party founder MGR and Amma. Similarly, the archrival DMK had planned to bifurcate the district secretaries to a jurisdiction of not more than two assemble seats. It is not so in AIADMK. The party needs more district secretaries to counter the DMK,” Anwar Rajaa told DT Next.