Chennai: A series of complaints and public statements by AIADMK functionaries has put party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) under renewed scrutiny, with his continued silence becoming a point of controversy.
According to the report, several office-bearers have quit the AIADMK and joined the TVK, issuing statements critical of EPS. Within the party too, former ministers including C.V. Shanmugam, S.P. Velumani and Natham Viswanathan have reportedly voiced criticism.
After the election defeat, some leaders have been urging EPS to convene the party’s general council and executive committee for discussions. However, they allege that he has not offered any explanation either on the expulsions or on the allegations being raised.
Organisation-level functionaries are quoted as saying that TVK and its new allies, as well as some who left the AIADMK, have accused EPS of attempting to form a government in coordination with the DMK after the Assembly election. They argue that if the charge is untrue, EPS should deny it openly instead of limiting remarks to calling defectors “traitors.”
The report also notes claims that EPS has been in frequent contact with former DMK minister Senthil Balaji, amid allegations that Balaji is trying to lure TVK MLAs. In this backdrop, the functionaries say EPS’s lack of criticism of the DMK for around 50 days has intensified suspicion and added to internal tensions.
