Chennai: Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), who became the sixth general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) following a Madras High Court order that rejected all pleas by rival O. Panneerselvam (OPS), is now looking to consolidate his hold on the party with an ambitious membership drive.
OPS had gone to court questioning his expulsion from the party and EPS’ elevation as the party’s top leader — EPS had been made AIADMK’s interim general secretary in July last year. OPS had also sought a stay on the AIADMK’s general secretary elections.
Hours after the Madras High Court’s rejection of OPS’s challenge Tuesday, AIADMK’s election in-charge Natham R. Viswanathan and Pollachi V. Jayaraman, announced EPS to be the party general secretary, a post which has earlier been held by party founder M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
EPS is the third CM (or former CM) after MGR and Jayalalithaa to become AIADMK general secretary. Another former general secretary, V.R. Nedunchezhian, had been acting CM for a brief period following MGR’s death in December 1987.
“Within an hour of being the party leader, EPS’ first announcement is about enrolling new cadres and infusing fresh blood into the party,” AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan told ThePrint, adding that EPS was focused on growing the party from the grass-roots level and that there was no room for talk about factionalism in the party.
The power struggle between EPS and OPS has been embroiled in court battles since June last year, over the validity of the AIADMK’s general council meetings, the validity of the resolutions passed and decisions taken — including the appointment of EPS as interim general secretary and removal of OPS and his supporters from the party.
Tuesday’s setback for OPS only means further court proceedings, said senior members of his faction. The group has already filed for an urgent hearing with a two-judge bench of the Madras High Court for Wednesday, challenging Tuesday’s verdict.
‘Work begins for 2024’
Following Tuesday’s developments — the high court verdict and EPS being announced party general secretary — the AIADMK headquarter in Chennai was buzzing with activity, with party cadres distributing sweets, bursting crackers, showering flowers and raising slogans of “Annan Edappadiyar, nerandara podhuchilalar, varangala mudhal amaichar Annan Edapadiyar (permanent general secretary, brother Edappadi, future chief minister, brother Edappadi)”.
EPS even made an appearance wearing an MGR-style white cap and dark glasses at the headquarters.
Speaking to ThePrint, former AIADMK member of parliament Dr J. Jayavardhan said, “The verdict has boosted the morale of party workers.”
According to Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan, a former AIADMK minister, the high court verdict had brought an end to the issue of dual leadership in the party and that it was decisive with little scope for ambiguity.
“Media-influenced stories of factionalism must stop now. The verdict will re-establish AIADMK as the premier party of Tamil Nadu,” he told ThePrint.
Senior party leaders told ThePrint that the AIADMK will begin an enrollment drive from 5 April, aimed at bringing more people into its fold ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Pandiarajan added that EPS will focus on filling six key positions in the executive body and other posts that have remained vacant since the removal of many of OPS’ supporters from the party.
Another urgent work that party members believe will happen soon is a tour by EPS across Tamil Nadu.
“For 2024, the party and high command will have a meeting and we will decide on EPS touring the entire state to make people aware of the unfulfilled promises of the DMK (currently in power in the state),” said Jayavardhan.
Pandiarajan recollected the late Jayalalithaa’s state-wide tour. “Amma (as Jayalalithaa was popularly called) had done mega meets when she was in the opposition and it had led to the AIADMK bouncing back to power in 2011, so some of us think it will be a good idea to show the same strength against the (current) DMK government,” he said.
Team OPS to focus on legal battle
The Madras High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice K. Kumaresh Babu Tuesday rejected the petition of the OPS faction to stay the result of the 26 March AIADMK general secretary election. EPS was the lone candidate for the post.
The court also dismissed the challenge of OPS and his supporters — P.H. Manoj Pandian, R. Vaithilingam and J.C.D. Prabhakar — to resolutions passed in an 11 July, 2022, AIADMK general council meeting. EPS had been made the interim general secretary at the meeting.
Speaking to reporters in Mayiladuthurai on 26 March, OPS had said the general secretary election could only be conducted after renewal of party cadres’ membership and after intra-party elections.
He had also alleged that during the time of MGR and Jayalalithaa, anyone could have stood for the party’s general secretary election but now, the bylaw had been modified.
“Now, 10 district secretaries each have to propose and second the name of the candidates contesting for the post. I am against this amendment,” he added.
Senior leaders from the OPS side stated that the legal battle was far from over and added that the “fight for dharma and for the AIADMK will continue”.
Jayavardhan, however, said: “OPS has gone for an appeal but dharma and truth are on our side (EPS faction), so we are not worried about the legal battle.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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