Chennai, Aug 9 (IANS) Senior AIADMK leaders S.P. Velumani and Natham R. Viswanathan have urged party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami to bring V.K. Sasikala and T.T.V. Dhinakaran back into the party fold, while launching a sharp attack on his leadership over a series of electoral and alliance decisions.
In a joint statement, the two leaders alleged that Palaniswami’s unilateral decisions had contributed to the AIADMK’s successive electoral setbacks and created widespread disappointment among party functionaries and cadres.
They accused Palaniswami of failing to seize an opportunity to forge an alliance with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ahead of the 2026 Assembly election.
They also alleged that after the election, he sought to negotiate with the DMK over government formation without adequately consulting senior party leaders.
Velumani and Viswanathan claimed that differences over the AIADMK’s post-election strategy had triggered serious divisions within the organisation, with 25 of its 47 MLAs opposing moves that they believed went against the political legacy of party founders M.G. Ramachandran and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Tracing the party’s electoral setbacks, the leaders said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had held discussions in Chennai ahead of the 2021 Assembly election in an attempt to facilitate an alliance involving Dhinakaran.
Though ousted party leader O. Panneerselvam was agreeable to the proposal, Palaniswami rejected it, they alleged, claiming the decision cost the AIADMK opportunities in several constituencies.
The duo further accused Palaniswami of sidelining parties and leaders who had been part of the AIADMK-led alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
The statement also criticised the AIADMK’s approach to the 2024 parliamentary election, alleging that overtures from the BJP leadership for reviving the alliance were rejected without adequate deliberation. This, they said, helped the DMK-Congress alliance sweep all 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
They also alleged that delays in finalising an understanding with the PMK resulted in the AIADMK losing another potential ally.
Velumani and Viswanathan said similar mistakes were repeated ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls despite Palaniswami’s repeated promise to build a broad coalition. Calling for urgent corrective measures to revive the organisation, the two leaders said the AIADMK should initiate discussions to reunite estranged leaders, including Sasikala and Dhinakaran, and strengthen the party through reconciliation.
–IANS
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