AIADMK gradually losing support within
Mayilvaganan.V@timesgroup.com 08.05.2018
Never in the recent past had the AIADMK been so isolated, and it is more apparent since leaders of various political parties like Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekar Rao are flocking to the Gopalapuram residence of M Karunanidhi and calling upon the DMK working president M K Stalin, while all is quiet on the other side.
The AIADMK, which boasts of being the third largest party in the Lok Sabha, has been virtually left alone with none of the national or state parties willing to have any truck with it. With just a year to go for the parliamentary elections, there is little indication of any party expressing interest to join hands with the beleaguered AIADMK. “The present plight of the AIADMK is because of the leadership crisis. There is a clear anti-BJP mood across the state but the AIADMK is seen as a proxy of BJP. Other parties don’t want to be associated with it,’’ says political analyst M Kasinathan.
It is not that the AIADMK has not gone through such a lull before. After the 1996 debacle, the party turned out to be a virtual untouchable in the political arena, but J Jayalalithaa managed to do a reversal and stitched a grand alliance in two years when she roped in the BJP and other parties for the Lok Sabha elections.
For that matter, even DMK was isolated politically, especially during the Sri Lankan war when it was seen toeing the line of the Congress, though not to the extent of AIADMK’s present situation. “This situation will not change and the likelihood of parties aligning with the AIADMK in future is nil,’’ says journalist and political analyst Tharasu Shayam. “While Jayalalithaa was known to be a friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she maintained an identity of her own. But neither EPS nor OPS command such a standing,’’ Shayam said.
The feeling has percolated to the grassroots, leaving the party workers more demoralised than ever. What has irked them is that the dual leadership of EPS and OPS was doing little to reverse the trend.
If the poor enrolment of members is an indication of the low morale of the cadres, yet another indication is the poor patronage of the newly launched party organ Puratchi Thalaivi Namadhu Amma. AIADMK party members admit that the BJP, which appeared to be the saviour, has now become a political obstacle. “Our leaders do not want to make any overtures to other parties for alliance for fear of antagonising the BJP,’’ said a district party member from the western region.
The series of protests — against Tasmac, NEET, Sterlite and on the Cauvery issue — has also battered the image of AIADMK, demoralising the workers’ morale further. “EPS is taking efforts to keep the party and government running. Much of the credit for the split in the Sasikala family should go to him,’’ said a party member. But for AIADMK, there was no gain from the rift between TTV Dhinakaran and V K Dhivaharan.
Email your feedback to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com
Mayilvaganan.V@timesgroup.com 08.05.2018
Never in the recent past had the AIADMK been so isolated, and it is more apparent since leaders of various political parties like Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekar Rao are flocking to the Gopalapuram residence of M Karunanidhi and calling upon the DMK working president M K Stalin, while all is quiet on the other side.
The AIADMK, which boasts of being the third largest party in the Lok Sabha, has been virtually left alone with none of the national or state parties willing to have any truck with it. With just a year to go for the parliamentary elections, there is little indication of any party expressing interest to join hands with the beleaguered AIADMK. “The present plight of the AIADMK is because of the leadership crisis. There is a clear anti-BJP mood across the state but the AIADMK is seen as a proxy of BJP. Other parties don’t want to be associated with it,’’ says political analyst M Kasinathan.
It is not that the AIADMK has not gone through such a lull before. After the 1996 debacle, the party turned out to be a virtual untouchable in the political arena, but J Jayalalithaa managed to do a reversal and stitched a grand alliance in two years when she roped in the BJP and other parties for the Lok Sabha elections.
For that matter, even DMK was isolated politically, especially during the Sri Lankan war when it was seen toeing the line of the Congress, though not to the extent of AIADMK’s present situation. “This situation will not change and the likelihood of parties aligning with the AIADMK in future is nil,’’ says journalist and political analyst Tharasu Shayam. “While Jayalalithaa was known to be a friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she maintained an identity of her own. But neither EPS nor OPS command such a standing,’’ Shayam said.
The feeling has percolated to the grassroots, leaving the party workers more demoralised than ever. What has irked them is that the dual leadership of EPS and OPS was doing little to reverse the trend.
If the poor enrolment of members is an indication of the low morale of the cadres, yet another indication is the poor patronage of the newly launched party organ Puratchi Thalaivi Namadhu Amma. AIADMK party members admit that the BJP, which appeared to be the saviour, has now become a political obstacle. “Our leaders do not want to make any overtures to other parties for alliance for fear of antagonising the BJP,’’ said a district party member from the western region.
The series of protests — against Tasmac, NEET, Sterlite and on the Cauvery issue — has also battered the image of AIADMK, demoralising the workers’ morale further. “EPS is taking efforts to keep the party and government running. Much of the credit for the split in the Sasikala family should go to him,’’ said a party member. But for AIADMK, there was no gain from the rift between TTV Dhinakaran and V K Dhivaharan.
Email your feedback to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com
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