After poll defeat, OPS faction to back Sasikala’s return to ‘unite the party’

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A gathering of 200 AIADMK functionaries at Panneerselvam’s Theni residence discussed the reasons for the party’s defeat. Panneerselvam has decided to move to “unite the party” by bringing back Sasikala supporters. Top sources confirmed that the movement has the blessings of Sasikala.

Addressing reporters on Wednesday, district secretary Syed Khan said the party suffered successive electoral defeats because it was split into different factions and to change this, it needs to bring back all the members who had left.

“We lost in the polls due to the differences within the party. Earlier when the party was split into two different factions led by former chief ministers Janaki Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, we lost the election but after that both the factions got united and we emerged as the single-largest party,” he said.

“After the demise of Amma (Jayalalithaa), some unfortunate incidents happened which led to our defeats in the polls. To change this, we need to be united. If we stand united, no one can defeat us in any period. We have passed a resolution and we have handed that over to OPS. He has assured us that a good decision would be made. This initiative will take place across the state and this is just the beginning,” he said.

The meeting also decided to visit all important AMMK cadres at their homes on Thursday before a district executive council meeting on Friday to pass the resolution proposing the return of the Sasikala faction.

Theni was among the 50 per cent or more AIADMK district committees, which did not pass a customary resolution ousting Sasikala and Dhinakaran from the party in 2017 in support of the state leadership. Sources in the Sasikala camp said this might be just a beginning. “She didn’t want to interfere due to these crucial elections, but all these defeats prove that the party should be reunited. Reuniting the party is her single agenda,” said a source close to Sasikala.

While Dhinakaran is said to have made a decision to react to the latest developments only after the Theni district party passed the resolution, more voices are likely to raise the same demand in the coming days.

On Thursday, while addressing the media, former AIADMK MLA from Coimbatore V Aarukutty pressed similar demand saying either Sasikala or Dhinakaran should lead the party to take them back to the victory path.

It is to be noted that Sasikala has been continuously pushing for a merger of the AMMK with the AIADMK despite opposition from the latter’s high command. On several occasions, Palanisami said that under no circumstances Sasikala or Dhinakaran would be readmitted into the party. The party has been taking disciplinary action against those who were found to be in contact with the expelled leaders.

Even though Panneerselvam is the coordinator in the AIADMK, the top post in the party, deputy coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami had a larger control among the district committees.

It is ironic that Panneerselvam, who started the mutiny against Sasikala, favours her return now. It was reported earlier that Panneerselvam met Sasikala and Dhinakaran after her release from the prison with Palaniswami sidelining him in the party.

Even though Sasikala was expected to act swiftly to retrieve the party, she was seen aloof and reluctant after her release from a Bangalore prison early last year. As she chose to be carefully silent, Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) also was slowly fading.

The defeat of the AIADMK in the recent urban local body polls was the latest in a series of massive losses suffered by the party after 2019, including the Lok Sabha elections, rural local body polls held in two phases and the assembly polls held last year.