Chennai, Oct 10 (IANS) Pressure is mounting on AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami after the party finished third in the Maduranthakam and Dharapuram bypolls, losing two seats it held and exposing divisions within its leadership.
The defeats have given rival factions an opening to press for changes in the party’s functioning and electoral approach.
Dharapuram’s result is a blow, given expectations within the AIADMK that the constituency offered a favourable chance of victory.
Both seats were won by former AIADMK legislators contesting for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama returned to the Assembly after resigning their seats and switching parties, dealing their former organisation a setback.
Their success could influence other dissatisfied AIADMK legislators, political analysts said, by suggesting that a change of party need not mean losing constituency support.
Whether this translates into more departures, however, will depend on individual circumstances and developments within the party.
Against this backdrop, the S.P. Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam camps have sought a general council meeting to assess the losses.
They favour reconciliation with estranged leaders, including T.T.V. Dhinakaran and V.K. Sasikala, as part of efforts to rebuild the AIADMK.
The divisions deepened after the Assembly elections, when Palaniswami rejected demands to support the TVK in forming the government.
As many as 25 of the AIADMK’s 47 MLAs subsequently voted in favour of the TVK government, defying the party whip.
Six AIADMK legislators later resigned their Assembly seats and joined the TVK.
Besides Kumaravel and Sathyabama, they included S Jayakumar of Perundurai, Isakki Subbiah of Ambasamudram, C Vijayabaskar of Viralimalai and M.R. Vijayabhaskar of Karur.
Kumaravel had secured 69,284 votes in Maduranthakam in the Assembly elections, while Sathyabama won Dharapuram with 81,100 votes.
The TVK fielded both in the first phase of bypolls, while the AIADMK nominated Kanitha Sampath and Bhanumathi, respectively.
The latest losses add to the party’s setbacks in Lok Sabha elections, the 2021 Assembly elections and local body polls, keeping its leadership under pressure.
For Palaniswami, the immediate task is to prevent further departures, manage rival factions and rebuild confidence among cadres.
The response to demands for a leadership review and broader reconciliation could shape the party’s efforts to recover from its electoral reverses.
–IANS
aal/rad
