An uphill task for the new leadership of the AIADMK

Palaniswami has got the top post in the party at a time when it is going through a lean phase

The rise of former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to the highest position in the AIADMK comes at a time when the party is going through a lean phase.

Since the Lok Sabha election in 2019, the party’s electoral track record has been below par. After losing power in the 2021 Assembly election, the party suffered a drubbing in the urban civic polls held in February. Even as it faces political heat from the DMK, its long-time adversary and the ruling party, the AIADMK appears to be losing the perception battle with the BJP, its ally, under the leadership of K. Annamalai, which has been positioning itself as an effective Opposition party.

It is against this backdrop that the expulsion of O. Panneerselvam has taken place. Though his base is limited to Theni district, there is a view in political circles that the party may find the going tough in many southern districts. It would be quite a challenge for the party to overcome the disadvantages that the absence of Mr. Panneerselvam, V.K. Sasikala and T.T.V. Dhinakaran may bring. For example, the AIADMK has not been able to regain its base in Virudhunagar - once considered a traditional stronghold - after Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran and Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu were put in charge of the DMK in the district.

Another weak spot for the party is Chennai and its surrounding districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur. In both the Assembly election and the local bodies polls, it was obvious that the AIADMK was no match for the DMK. Of course, the party’s position in the Cauvery delta, which is a traditional bastion of the DMK, has been a source of concern.

Amid all these challenges, what is comforting to Mr. Palaniswami is the fact that the predominant section of the party’s office-bearers has rallied behind him, barring a handful of district secretaries and a section of general council members. It remains to be seen how he is going to use the services of the party’s functionaries and workers imaginatively. Besides, it looks like parties such as the BJP, the PMK and the TMC(M) are going to count on him for the Lok Sabha election, if the messages of greetings from the leaders of these parties are an indication. It would be interesting to see whether Mr. Palaniswami is able to wean away any party from the rival formation headed by the DMK. What is clear is that Mr. Palaniswami is not oblivious to the need for achieving success in the Lok Sabha polls, as otherwise, his leadership may also come in for criticism.