Rumblings of discontent have manifested in the ruling faction of the AIADMK, just three months after the merger of the Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam camps.
“Three months since the merger and the fourth month is on. The months pass by, but what about hearts?” asked Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan in a post on Facebook on Tuesday.
When TNM reached out to Maitreyan, an ardent supporter of Deputy CM OPS, he refused to comment further than what he had posted on Facebook.
On Wednesday, Maitreyan took to Facebook yet again; this time to clarify:
“It's not my personal view as Thambidurai says. I've echoed sentiments of majority of grassroot cadre.”
A source close to Maitreyan and OPS, however, suggested that all is not well within the united AIADMK. He recalled that even ahead of the 21 August merger, OPS’ team had wanted the post of Chief Minister, although EPS finally retained it.
The source told TNM:
Senior leaders were not happy at the time as we wanted OPS to be made CM. But a compromise was struck as the common enemy was Sasikala, and it was important to get back the two leaves symbol.
Suggesting a lack of coordination among the top-rung, the source pointed out that Maitreyan and other leaders of the OPS faction are primarily upset because of three reasons. The primary reason is that the 11-member steering committee that was to be formed, is yet to be constituted.
“According to the terms of the merger, the steering committee was supposed to have six members from OPS side and five from EPS faction. In the absence of an official structure, this committee was supposed to act like the party’s polit bureau. This was the only committee that was supposed to have OPS members in it. And there is no word on whether it will be formed,” said the source.
It was on 21 August that the merged sides had announced the formation of a coordination committee, with OPS as coordinator and EPS as joint coordinator and two deputy coordinators.
“This committee has not met even once. There is no coordination. Everyone is working as it is,” admitted the source.
The source, however, revealed that the bigger worry is that if the ruling camp does retrieve the two leaves symbol, team OPS may be smothered by the EPS fraction.
But is OPS, the man who had rebelled against Sasikala in February, not standing up to EPS?
“OPS is, to an extent, standing up to him. But how much can he do?” he asked.
Significantly, Maitreyan was the first leader from the ruling AIADMK faction to react to Friday night’s Income Tax raids on late CM Jayalalithaa’s residence at Poes Garden in Chennai. “Whatever be the reason, a raid in Poes Garden where Amma lived gives great pain. As far as I'm concerned, Amma's home is a temple,” he had then stated.
(with inputs from The News Minute)
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