CHENNAI: Signs of unrest within Dravidian majors intensified on Monday following their electoral defeat, even as DMK president M K Stalin and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami assured cadres that the parties would bounce back.
Resignations and Breaks
AIADMK veteran S Semmalai quit after serving the party for 45 years, citing the 'dictatorial approach' of EPS which he said was shrinking the party's strength. The EPS camp dismissed his resignation as insignificant. Meanwhile, former DMK minister P T R Palanivel Thiagarajan announced he was taking a short break from politics to travel abroad for lectures and book writing, activities he could not pursue during his ministerial tenure.
EPS Attacks TVK
EPS mounted a fresh attack on the Vijay-led TVK, accusing it of horse trading by luring AIADMK MLAs with cabinet berths. He called TVK a 'poi kaal kuthirai' (dummy horse) and predicted its government would not last long. He asserted that AIADMK would bounce back and that internal differences would be resolved through discussions. He invited district secretaries for a meeting on Tuesday.
Rebel Faction Intensifies Pressure
The rival faction within AIADMK intensified pressure on the leadership. Viralimalai MLA C Vijayabaskar claimed rebels had secured support from two-fifths of the general council members to convene a special meeting to discuss the reasons for the party's defeat and the need for younger leaders. Rebel MLAs held a meeting on Monday as well.
Dissent in DMK
DMK is also witnessing dissent against senior ministers and the strategy firm PEN, run by Stalin's son-in-law Sabarisan. Former MLAs publicly criticized ministers K N Nehru and P K Sekar Babu. Stalin attributed TVK's victory to its Instagram strategy and urged DMK men to counter such tactics. He declared that DMK would rise again like the Phoenix.
