Chennai: Days after AIADMK’s general body meeting, the breakaway faction led by former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam has moved to formally reposition itself as a full-fledged political party, replacing the word ‘committee’ in its name—AIADMK Workers’ Rights Retrieval Committee—with ‘Kazhagam’. The leaders of the camp have said that their options are wide open, signalling a possible alliance with even the DMK.
Former members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam associated with OPS say that the shift reflects both assertion and a recalibration of political options.
OPS has adopted the new name, starting 14 December after the AIADMK faction led by general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami held its general body meeting on 10 December.
Although the decision to drop ‘committee’ and adopt the word ‘Kazhagam’ was taken during a functionaries’ meet on 24 November, the AIADMK Workers’ Rights Retrieval Kazhagam’s election wing secretary Subburathinam said that they had waited till the 10 December general body meeting of the party to take such a call. However, the general body meeting turned out to be a shocker for the OPS camp.
“Any residual hope of a merger with the AIADMK was completely dismantled by the tone adopted by EPS and the second-rung AIADMK functionaries, including Dindigul Srinivasan, R.B. Udhayakumar and C.V. Shanmugam at the meeting. Seeing their proceedings, there is not even a remote possibility of merging with the AIADMK,” said A. Subburathinam, the election wing secretary of OPS’s outfit and former Palani MLA.
According to OPS’s supporters, the change in the name of the outfit was meant to formally make it a party. “Although the party has not been officially registered, ‘Kazhagam’ in the title gives formal recognition to have alliance and seat-sharing negotiations with political parties, and we expect that a formal announcement on the party formation may come during the upcoming meeting on 23 December,” one of OPS’s supporters told ThePrint.
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‘No permanent friends or enemies in politics’
While speculation is rife that the name change was aimed at having formal talks for partnership with the National Democratic Alliance, Subburathinam sought to play down the buzz around OPS’s recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He said that the meeting was held at Amit Shah’s invitation, and was driven by “political dignity” rather than possibility of alliance. “Just because we met Amit Shah, it doesn’t mean we are back in the NDA. Our status quo continues,” he said, adding that the ball was now in BJP’s and EPS’s court. “Until our aspirations are met, there is no question of merging.”
With doors firmly shut for an AIADMK reunion and ambiguity around alliance with NDA, the OPS camp has hinted that its political options remain “wide open”.
Invoking political precedents of former AIADMK leaders R.M. Veerappan and Thirunavukkarasu, who had gone on to support DMK, Subburathinam said that alliances are shaped by circumstance. “There is no permanent friend or foe in politics. It is the time and situation that decides so. If there is a chance to join hands with DMK, we will definitely do so. DMK is not an untouchable party,” he said.
Nevertheless, Subburathinam added, the final call on alliances would rest with OPS. “This is a question of our survival. What is best for that, our leader will decide. Time will decide our future course.”
He further said that their fight to retrieve the rights of the AIADMK workers would continue. “Any part of the by-law can be amended, but the basic right of the grassroot level workers to elect the general secretary should not be done away with. That is what we are fighting to retrieve. Irrespective of the name, we would continue to fight for it,” he said.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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