Dissidence rocks AIADMK again: EPS accused of dynastic politics, promoting son as heir apparent

Dissidence rocks the Opposition AIADMK yet again with senior leader C. Ve. Shanmugam, who led the previous revolt, accusing party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) of dynastic politics by promoting his son as the heir apparent and allowing his family to maintain an iron grip over the organisation.

“Palaniswami is enacting a drama to bring in his son into the party. There is an orchestrated clamour for it from his supporters. Instead of resigning as the general secretary owning moral responsibility for the election defeat, he is interested in turning the party into a family fiefdom. He is not worried about the party losing successive elections with its vote share plummets,” Shanmugam told reporters at Tindivanam.

Advertisement

A party strongman in the Villupuram region, Shanmugam, played a pivotal role in the short-lived rebellion, ensuring 22 party legislators supported the Vijay government in the trust vote on May 13. All but four legislators who quit as MLAs and joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of Vijay have since returned to the party fold, making peace with the leadership.

Now, he has raised the banner of revolt, charging EPS with not being concerned about the desertion of party functionaries, including former ministers, who are joining the TVK, which is a clear rejection of the party leadership. “Many, including former ministers are switching over to the TVK. They have lost faith in the leadership. But EPS is not inclined to hold a review of the AIADMK’s poor performance in the election. He is not even prepared to accept that his leadership is the reason for the defeat, he said and demanded that the AIADMK general council be convened.

Charging EPS with functioning like an autocrat, Shanmugam said, “He blames everyone but himself. He doesn’t listen to the party seniors. This is the time for introspection and EPS should give way for a new leadership.”

Meanwhile, actor Gautami, who switched over to the AIADMK from the BJP—where she had a long innings since 1997—and was appointed the Deputy Propaganda secretary of the party, has quit the AIADMK. Her resignation comes against the backdrop of many moving towards the TVK, after she campaigned for the AIADMK-led NDA.