MLA bats for single, charismatic leader for AIADMK

Bring back post of general secretary; dual leadership of OPS, EPS not working, says V.V. Rajan Chellappa

Revolting against the dual leadership in the ruling party, its MLA, V.V. Rajan Chellappa, on Saturday sought to create a “single, charismatic and all-powerful” leadership in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to lead the party towards victory in the ensuing local body elections and the next election to the State Assembly.

Mr. Chellappa, representing Madurai North Assembly seat, said that he was reflecting the views of several party MLAs, district secretaries and leaders to again create the post of general secretary to help the cadres work under a single command.

After the merger of the two factions — AIADMK (Amma) led by former Chief Minister, O. Pannerselvam and AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) headed Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami — in August 2017, Mr. Pannerselvam, who was made the Deputy Chief Minister, was accommodated in the party high command by creating a new post of party coordinator. Mr. Palaniswami was made the joint coordinator.

“There is uneasiness in this arrangement of coordinators that looks powerless. Decision making has suffered; quick decisions are not being made. There is doubt in the minds of the cadres as to who has the power,” Mr. Chellappa said.

Charismatic leadership crucial

Stating that politics in Tamil Nadu and India has proved that people weigh political parties, immaterial of their ideologies and principles, by their charismatic leadership, he said the post of general secretary — an all powerful leadership — should be formed that would look after appointment of party functionaries and selection of candidates for election.

“It can be any one of the two (Mr. Pannerselvam or Mr. Palaniswami) or a new leader. Let the general council decide on that,” he said.

The former Mayor of Madurai city, Mr. Chellappa said that he wanted to share all these views at the party general council meeting or meeting of MLAs and district secretaries. “But, since no such meeting has been organised even 18 days after the poll debacle, I wanted to convey this to the high command through the media,” he said.

Mr. Chellappa also wondered why the nine newly-election MLAs in the by-election have not visited the memorial of party founder M.G. Ramachandran and former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa. The party Theni MP, O.P. Raveendranath, alone has paid homage at the Jayalalithaa memorial.

“Why has not the MLAs, whose victory is very crucial for the survival of AIADMK Government, not submitted their victory to Jayalalithaa ... whose dream was for continuation of the party and its rule for 100 years,” he said.