Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has begun steps to stitch up the party’s internal rift by reassigning organisational posts, senior party functionaries said. However, they added that his confrontation with former minister C.V. Shanmugam is still unresolved.
According to the functionaries, even after sections of the disgruntled camp returned to EPS, he initially refused to restore positions that had been taken away. This, they said, pushed several unhappy leaders towards considering switching parties, following which a former judge and a few industrialists close to EPS met him and advised against “revenge politics”.
They also told EPS that leaders such as S.P. Velumani and P. Thangamani were important for the party’s revival in the Kongu region, and urged him to keep returning leaders close by giving them responsibilities. In line with this effort, EPS appointed K.P. Viswanathan and Velumani as deputy general secretaries, despite objections from K.P. Munusamy over Velumani being given a post on par with him.
The functionaries said former minister R. Udhayakumar had expected the deputy general secretary post, but EPS did not place full trust in him. They added that Thangamani, with whom EPS is still upset, has been given the post of organisational secretary along with others.
They further said M.R. Vijayabaskar, who was said to be weighing a party switch, has been made joint secretary for ideology propagation. Shanmugam, however, has not been assigned any post so far, as he has not met EPS and has continued to speak against him. The functionaries claimed EPS is angry and is considering expulsion if Shanmugam continues to comment about him.
