Steering panel selection sees mix of loyalists and heavyweights

The announcement of EPS as the party CM candidate reverberated across the state with the party functionaries distributing sweets and bursting crackers celebrating the end of stalemate in the party.

AIADMK coordinator OPS inducted five of his low-profile loyalists into the steering committee, while CM EPS inducted six powerful ministers into the committee.

“Both the leaders have benifitted from Wednesday’s announcement, but they have brought in a committee comprising factions, which is unusual for the Dravidian party. The final deadlock talks which began on Tuesday at 10 am got over by 2.30 am, the next day bringing respite to the AIADMK workers,” an informed party senior told DT Next. EPS called on deputy OPS later in the day sending a strong signal among the party cadres that the differences the leaders have been buried.

In a letter to the party cadres EPS also thanked OPS and the party workers for proposing his name as the CM candidate. “Till my last breath, I will be loyal to the party and the party seniors including OPS for proposing my name. And we should ingrain our blood with confidence and work for the formation of AIADMK government for the third consecutive time creating a new record,” EPS said in his letter thanking party workers.

“This is a premature event and political peaking is yet to begin. In my view this is an early announcement when elections are away by more than 6 months,” professor Ramu Manivannan, HoD, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, told DT Next.

“By announcing an 11-member steering committee, OPS and EPS have institutionalised groups in the party. This is a new strategy to AIADMK and such committees were not there earlier. This will only create further disputes between the factions when the candidates are announced for next Assembly polls,” said a former AIADMK MLA. Further, no women office bearer has been included in the top organisational polls.

Decentralised power

From being a single leader run party during the days of MGR and Jayalalithaa, AIADMK will now have a decentralised power system at the headquarters level. The AIADMK under the leaders’ OPS and EPS will have a three-tier system. OPS and EPS as party coordinator and joint coordinator will have the crucial election forms signing authority for AIADMK candidates and decide on alliance matters.

Then the party already has a five-member committee comprising presidium chairman and coordinators (E Madhusudhanan, OPS, EPS, R Vaithilingam and K P Munusamy). Now the party has announced a steering committee comprising ministers and party seniors to advise the party and district heads on election prospects.