Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) has been announced as the chief ministerial candidate by the ruling AIADMK for the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu in May 2021. Deputy CM O Panneerselvam (OPS) will continue to head the party.
The two leaders were welcomed with much fanfare with party workers showering flowers and bouquets on Wednesday, 7 October. OPS announced that this was a united party decision.
AIADMK leaders held intense discussions till early Wednesday morning.
Party leaders, including joint convenors KP Munuswamy and Vaithiyalingam, former MP Manoj Pandian, former MLA JCD Prabakar, held talks with Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at his residence. While ministers Dindigul C Sreenivasan, D Jayakumar, SP Velumani and Kamaraj held talks with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Steering Committee Formed
Edappadi Palaniswamy announced that a steering committee has been formed with 11 members. The members include ministers Dindugal Srinivasan, Thangamani, SP Velumani, Fisheries Minister Jayakumar, C Ve Shanmugam, Kamarajar, former MLA JCD Prabhakaran, former MP Manoj Pandian, PA Mohan, former MP Gopalakrishnan and MLA Manickam.
Sources close to the party said that the chief minister had nominated six of the members and the deputy CM chose five. While some said EPS was not in favour of this committee, many said he had to comply because this was part of the truce when the OPS and EPS factions had merged.
It is noted to that the two leaders lack the charisma that veteran leaders like Jayalalithaa and MGR had and so a united front is very much necessary for the party to stand a winning chance against the DMK.
This is the first time the state is going for polls without the stalwarts – AIADMK’s J Jayalalithaa and DMK’s M Karunanidhi.
How the Crisis in AIADMK Began
The crisis in the AIADMK began after the demise of party supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016.
O Panneerselvam (OPS) had stepped in as the chief minister during brief periods of absence by Jayalalithaa. However, soon after her death his name was dragged into controversies and raids were conducted as his residence; he lost his CM post.
Edappadi K Palaniswami, another Sasikala loyalist, was appointed as CM.
OPS then led a revolt exposing that Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s close aide had forced matters in the party.
Later, EPS and OPS factions merged in August 2017, after Sasikala, the then party general secretary and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran, were ousted from the AIADMK.
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