Increasing discord in AIADMK, DMK from this issue amid allegations of connivance on BJP, the fear of anti -incumbency is removed
The difficulties of Tamil Nadu’s leading opposition party AIADMK are constantly increasing. Senior leader K.A. Segottaiyan, the party’s general secretary Edappdi K.K. The working style of Palanisamy (EPS) has been directly questioned. Segottaiyan has given a 10 -day ultimatum for the return of leaders out of the party and warned that if their demands are not met, they can form a separate front with their supporters. The controversy is getting caught up after Sexottaiyan met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi. The speculation has intensified that the BJP is taking too much interest in Tamil Nadu politics and is intervening. The AIADMK leadership believes that meeting with the dissatisfied leader of the party is the wrong policy of the BJP and it is like a betrayal among allies.
This discord of the AIADMK has come out at a very good time for the ruling DMK. The discord in the major opposition party can help the DMK government fight the anti-incumbency wave and can keep its position strong in the changing political scenario of Tamil Nadu.
In Tamil Nadu, BJP’s leading ally and state’s main opposition party AIADMK J.K. It has been scattered since Jayalalithaa’s death. Edappdi K. Palanisamy (EPS) former Chief Minister O. The organization strengthened his grip on the organization after the Panneerselvam (OPS) was dropped from the party. But now he was given the senior party leader K.K. A. Segottaiyan is facing a new challenge. Segottaiyan demanded the withdrawal of leaders excluded from the party and indicated openly against the current leadership that the dissatisfaction within the party is not over yet.
Sasikala
General Secretary Palanisamy removed him from the posts of Organization Secretary and Secretary of Erode Rural West District on the open threat of Nine -time MLA, Segottaiyan. Action was also taken against six other leaders supporting Segottaiyan demand. However, no one was expelled from the party yet. The top leadership may have kept silence, but to the Segottaiyan O. Panneerselvam and V.K. Leaders like Sasikala have been supported. Both have been looking for an opportunity to challenge Palanisamy’s dominance for a long time.
Segottaiyan has criticized leadership for not having an alliance with the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Recently, their meeting with Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman has started speculating that the BJP is openly interfering in the internal issues of the AIADMK.
However, the party leadership did not give an official response to the meeting of Segottaiyan with BJP leaders. But people close to Palanisamy say that this step is a violation of party discipline without bringing to the high command. The resentment towards the BJP in the party is also increasing because two of its leaders hosted a disgruntled leader. There are many people who are viewing it as interference in party’s internal affairs. The market is hot from this episode that the rebellion of Segottaiyan can cause tension in the recent BJP-Anadramuk alliance. After the last assembly elections, the two party broke into a mutual relationship. Just in April, the two parties came together again. Now this new development is in danger of the old wound to become green again.
Panneerselvam
Political analyst Babu Jayakumar believes, “AIADMK has never been an ideology party. She has always stood around the leaders, first MG. Ramachandran, then J. Jayalalithaa. After him, there was no leader of that stature. For the past few years, Palanisamy has strengthened his position. As far as Segottaiyan is concerned, they are not in a position to challenge them. His sudden rebellion may be supported by ‘external forces’, but it is not possible to destabilize Palanisamy at the moment.’
On the condition of anonymity, an AIADMK leader says to Outlook, that he suspects that the BJP is behind the ultimatum of Segottaiyan to restore senior leaders who leave the party. He further says, “O. of Segottaiyan’s step. Panneerselvam and V.K. Sasikala immediately welcomed. It pointers the same. ”
The 2026 assembly election is decisive for the AIADMK, as the party has lost in every major election since 2019. The notion within the party is increasing that if there was an alliance with the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, perhaps there would have been better results. However, in the 2021 assembly elections, the party formed an alliance with the BJP and still had to face defeat. The same dilemma bothers the party and a section of leadership blames the alliance with the BJP for the defeat of the assembly.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK could not win a single seat despite securing 23.3 percent of the vote share. The BJP -led NDA had secured 18 percent of the votes by contesting a separate election. This is the reason that many people believe that the disgruntled leader within the AIADMK believes that if the two parties fought together, the results would have been different.
DMK spokesperson Prof. Rabindran says to Outlook, “BJP knows well that it cannot make inroads in Tamil Nadu. About 20 percent of the voters here neither support the DMK nor the AIADMK. If the AIADMK breaks down again, the BJP may think of coming in the role of the main opposition, but it is not easy for him. ”Although the DMK is keeping a close watch on the upheaval going on within its main rival party. People associated with the party say that they do not worry much.
According to him, the BJP’s strategy is clear, using the inner discord of the AIADMK to emerge as an alternative force in the state. Ravindran argues that the political culture of Tamil Nadu, which has been coined by the Dravidian parties for decades, leaves very little scope for an outsider to fill this zero. He says, “Even if the AIADMK becomes even weaker, the BJP cannot achieve its vote base.”
According to experts, the BJP suspects that Palanisamy alone Chief Minister M.K. Will be able to compete with Stalin. Therefore, she is advocating the reunion of former AIADMK leaders. However, many leaders have left the party and do not want to present Palanisamy as the Chief Ministerial candidate of NDA.
People close to Palanisamy are confident that the opposition of Segottaiyan is not going to make a difference and Palanisamy can maintain his grip on the party. He explains that Palanisamy has faced many major challenges and has gradually strengthened his control over the organization. Nevertheless, there is anxiety about the BJP’s intentions to encourage or give them a place. According to the inner sources in the party, the high command is adopting the strategy of ‘Wet and Watch’. He is keeping a close watch on the entire incident. It remains to be seen what will be the next step of Segottaiyan after the end of the 10 -day final warning and whether this will lead to widespread mobilization of the leaders.
Therefore, many experts believe that the BJP wants to share votes by creating a third or fourth angle, so that it can get the benefit of some seats and open its account in the state. Whatever it is, you can be seen to be seen before the elections next year.
