This is an archive article published on August 16, 2017

Opinion Battle for AIADMK

A third faction rises in the party, rearranging yet again the political equations in Tamil Nadu

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August 16, 2017 02:01 AM IST First published on: Aug 16, 2017 at 02:01 AM IST

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The AIADMK has, in all, 133 MLAs, now split into three groups

There seems to be no end to the drama in the AIADMK, which has had a wobbly existence since the death of its supremo J. Jayalalithaa last December. Just as the two main factions in the party geared up to bury their differences and unite, a third group has announced its intent to pursue an independent political trajectory.

A rally organised by this faction in Melur near Madurai on Monday was attended by 20 MLAs and four MPs, a presence large enough to destabilise the Edappadi Palaniswamy-led AIADMK government in Chennai. This faction, led by T.T.V. Dinakaran, AIADMK deputy general secretary and nephew of V.K. Sasikala, the late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s aide now lodged in a Bengaluru jail, may have the numbers to pull down the present government.

Dinakaran’s rise complicates the AIADMK merger plan since the O. Panneerselvam-led faction has made the expulsion of Sasikala and her family from the party a pre-condition for joining hands with the Edappadi group. Sasikala and Dinakaran are technically leaders of the AIADMK faction that Edappadi heads in the assembly.

Clearly, the old order in the AIADMK is refusing to let go. The Sasikala family, which continues to control the party’s assets and finances, also commands the support of a fair number of legislators. The AIADMK has, in all, 133 MLAs, now split into three groups. It was presumed that Edappadi and OPS have enough legislators to keep the government afloat and risk the expulsion of Sasikala and its consequences. But the Melur rally indicates that if Dinakaran breaks away, the other two factions will fall short of a majority (118 in a House of 234 elected members) in the assembly.

Post Sasikala’s arrest and the revolt of OPS, there were signs of a new leadership emerging from the legislators, which presented the prospect of the AIADMK coming out of the shadow of the Sasikala family. The churn in the AIADMK also allowed the BJP, which is keen on expanding in Tamil Nadu, an opportunity to intervene in state politics: The party has reportedly been prodding the Edappadi and OPS groups to come together. In fact, OPS met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday and later admitted to having discussed the merger issue with him. The prospect of a political alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP emerging in Tamil Nadu, which sends 39 MPs to the Lok Sabha, is slowly emerging. However, the rise of Dinakaran has ensured that the riveting drama gets a fresh lease of life.