Chennai, June 12 (BPNS)
AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has on Tuesday invited the dissident leaders of the party back to the AIADMK. This is seen as a political move by Edappadi K. Palaniswami to weaken the former coordinator of the party O. Panneerselvam(OPS). It is to be noted that several former leaders of the AIADMK are now aligned with O. Panneerselvam(OPS), VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran and EPS wants all these leaders back to the AIADMK fold.
The invitation has come after the Election Commission of India has recognized, EPS faction as the original AIADMK and has also put the names of the party office bearers in its original website.
It is to be noted that after the removal of O. Panneerselvam and his associates from the party in September 2022, several court cases were filed against Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and the official faction of the AIADMK.
The AIADMK, it is to be noted has lost all but one seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the party wants to do much better in the 2024 general elections.
The move of EPS to invite dissidents is considered as a move intended to strengthen the AIADMK in the run upto the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
With the AIADMK in a political alliance with the BJP at present, the party is trying to get maximum seats from the strongholds of both the BJP and AIADMK.
C. Rajeev, Director, Centre for Policy and Development Studies, a think tank based out of Chennai, while speaking to BPNS said, “It is high time Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) reach out to the dissidents in the party and the move has created enthusiasm among the party middle and lower level leaders. This will help the AIADMK gain some lost ground in its territories.”
The move is likely to weaken OPS as the dissident leaders will be given proper accommodation in AIADMK once they are back. Sources in the OPS camp however told BPNS that the group will move ahead with its declared programmes and will strengthen the group in the days to come.
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