Unlike Jaya’s time, AIADMK district secretaries go scot-free post drubbing

The principal opposition party AIADMK is known for its organisational revamps soon after any poll debacle. Especially during the days of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the district secretaries will be removed from the party post if they lose to the arch-rival DMK.

However, in contrast, the Dravidian major did not witness any major organisational reshuffle not only during the defeat in the just-concluded elections to the local bodies but also when they fail to project a good show even in the recent state assembly elections.

With party leader Edappadi K Palaniswami being the district secretary of Salem district and the party facing a severe drubbing in that region from the DMK, the AIADMK had not acted against its non-performing party seniors.

AIADMK senior and former leaders opined that the dual leadership had failed to take action against the non-performing functionaries.

“Opposition party has not analysed properly to field the candidates based on merits. They have not consulted senior leaders in this regard leading to the massive defeat,” former AIADMK MP KC Palanisamy told DT Next.

In 1996, after the poll defeat, Jayalalithaa took measures to revamp the party and it proved successful as the party bounced back in electoral politics.

Pointing out a recent case in which an AIADMK candidate secured just a single-digit vote, KCP asked why the party has not taken action against the senior members in the area and why they allowed a weak cadre to contest.

Echoing similar views, former AIADMK senior leader V Pugazhendhi questioned the party for not conducting elections when it was in power. “At least they would have secured considerable win”. He alleged that AIADMK, which was in power, did not concentrate on civic issues as it was handled by the senior party leaders.

A senior party functionary in Chennai Poonganagar Selvam alleged the AIADMK high-command has not taken care of ground-level party functionaries for the last four years when Edappadi Palaniswami took over the power. “In addition, there was no control over the district secretaries, who were taking their own decisions,” he said.

He said “the problem is that if the non-performing district secretaries were to be sacked, then the axe should be against those who are the close to OPS and EPS, who had suffered defeat in their bastions.”

Meanwhile, party coordinator O Panneerselvam said his party would analyse the poll defeat “after consulting with the party high command,” OPS told reporters at airport here.