Sasikala makes a pitch to regroup battered AIADMK. Are EPS and OPS listening?

After a heavy drubbing in the municipal elections in Tamil Nadu recently, the AIADMK is aiming to regroup and strengthen the party from grassroots. Amid the effort, former interim general secretary VK Sasikala’s call for unity has gained momentum as party functionaries from various districts have echoed her voice for a ‘single’ leadership.

While Sasikala’s call for unity is not new, a steadied silence among party’s top leaders to her demand is significant and worth pondering over.

On the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa, Sasikala said the AIADMK has not seen such a spell of continuous electoral losses ever. Urging all party workers to regroup, Sasikala said, “If we all work together in the interest of the party, the Kazhagam will definitely become strong.”

Subsequently, a week after Sasikala’s appeal, Theni district unit of AIADMK passed a resolution to reinduct all the people who left the party, including former interim general secretary VK Sasikala and former deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran. The resolution soon caught the attention of AIADMK functionaries across the State since it was passed in the presence of party coordinator O Panneerselvam (OPS).

“We would have taken it seriously if the resolution had come from a district committee. For that matter, even if it had come from Theni alone, it wouldn’t have mattered. But, since it was passed in the presence of O Panneerselvam, it’s to be taken seriously,” said a former AIADMK minister from the southern region. The former minister also added that the feud within the party has cost several leaders their political career and expected that at least now the party leadership would think of finding a solution (to infighting).

Also read: Amid high emotions, Sasikala visits memorials of Jaya, MGR and Annadurai

AIADMK’s IT wing leader from Coimbatore felt that party workers are keen on getting Sasikala back if not Dhinakaran. “Sasikala’s call is not new and fissures within the party over present leadership is also not new. But, every time a party functionary makes such an opinion in public, he or she is removed from the party position immediately. This time, that has not happened,” the IT wing leader said.

Party’s senior functionaries like Coimbatore former MLA VC Arukutty and local body representatives who won in the recent elections have endorsed the resolution of Theni district committee and sought for a single leadership under VK Sasikala to renew the party’s position in the State.

Meanwhile, talks for truce between AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam and Deputy Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami are being held separately at Theni and Salem. While RB Udhayakumar, former minister from Madurai met O Panneerselvam at his farmhouse in Theni, S Semmalai, a veteran leader in AIADMK met Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) at his house in Salem.

Sources close to Palaniswami said that the former CM and his aides in the western region were upset with O Panneerselvam’s move. “They (Edappadi K Panaliswami and O Panneerselvam) discussed the consequences they would face if they reinduct Sasikala and Dhinakaran. We didn’t know whether they arrived at any conclusion on this matter,” the source said.

Also read: Is EPS cornered? DMK, OPS and Sasikala team sense an opportunity

Meanwhile, Sasikala has already started her Tamil Nadu tour and has been meeting the people who won in the recent urban local body elections. On Friday, she left for Thoothukudi to meet the party cadres there. Speaking about the recent developments, Sasikala said that “all AIADMK workers are children of the same mother and she would be meeting all of them”.

However, neither AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam nor deputy coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami has reacted to the call for reinducting Sasikala and Dhinakaran into the party yet.

When asked about it, AIADMK’s spokesperson RM Babu Murugavel said that whatever resolution is adopted in the party’s general council meet is considered final and as per record they (Sasikala and Dhinakaran) are no longer party members. “Action will be taken against the party district units who passed resolutions against the party resolution,” Murugavel said.