Differences come out in the open yet again at AIADMK meet

anneerselvam anc Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that the party’s Executive Committee meeting will be held on December 1

ETB Sivapriyan, DHNS, Chennai,

Nov 24 2021, 22:51 ist
updated: Nov 24 2021, 22:51 ist

AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam. Credit: PTI File Photo

Sparks flew at a meeting of AIADMK district secretaries here on Wednesday after questions were raised over the party’s functioning under the current leadership, even as a former MLA considered close to O Panneerselvam jumped ship to BJP.

Hours after the meeting during which demands for expanding the Steering Committee and bestowing additional powers to it were raised, party coordinator Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that the party’s Executive Committee meeting will be held on December 1.

The Executive Committee is likely to discuss the internal elections and convening of the General Council.

AIADMK is beset with factional feud between OPS and EPS as the latter makes a concerted effort to take control of the party. At Wednesday's meeting, former ministers K A Sengottaiyan and Anwhar Raajhaa questioned the current leadership’s actions and pitched for greater powers to the 11-member Steering Committee.

Even as the meeting was on in Chennai, one of the members of the Steering Committee, K Manickam joined the BJP in the presence of its state unit chief K Annamalai in the knitwear hub of Tiruppur. Manickam, a former MLA from Sholavandhan in Madurai, is considered close to OPS and was included into the committee as his nominee.

While the OPS faction pitched for the need to expand the Steering Committee from the current 11 to 18, Sengottaiyan, who hails from the western region of the state that put its weight behind EPS during the elections, stunned everyone by demanding that the party should be run by the panel.

C Ve Shanmugam, another former minister, is believed to have opposed the demand and supported EPS, who is also the Leader of Opposition.

Many leaders questioned the “inaction” on the part of leadership in preventing AIADMK men from joining other political parties, especially the BJP, and stressed the need to rejuvenate the party and its cadre. The developments at the AIADMK meeting assume significance in the wake of renewed efforts by ousted interim general secretary V K Sasikala to take control of the party.