Chennai, May 11 (IANS) The AIADMK has been plunged into fresh political uncertainty following its crushing defeat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with the party slipping to third place after securing just 47 seats.

The setback has not only cost Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) the post of Leader of Opposition but has also triggered intense internal discussions and visible factional activity within the party.

The election results, announced on May 4, dealt a severe blow to the AIADMK leadership, sparking concerns over the party’s future direction and leadership structure.

Adding to the speculation, AIADMK MLAs were recently accommodated at a private hotel in Puducherry while senior leader and former Minister C.V. Shanmugam held a series of closed-door consultations with legislators and district secretaries.

Political circles in Tamil Nadu are now abuzz with reports of growing differences between EPS and C.V. Shanmugam. Last Saturday, AIADMK MLAs first attended a consultation meeting convened by EPS at his residence, where the prevailing political situation and future alliance strategies were discussed in detail. Soon after, another separate meeting was held at Shanmugam’s residence in Chennai’s MRC Nagar, where around 37 MLAs reportedly participated.

The intense round of consultations continued for a second consecutive day on Sunday. Leaders said to be aligned with the Shanmugam camp included senior figures such as S.P. Velumani, Nannilam Kamaraj, Hosur Balakrishna Reddy, Jolarpettai K.C. Veeramani, Palacode K.P. Anbazhagan, Viralimalai C. Vijayabaskar, Karur M.R. Vijayabaskar and MLA Leema Rose. Several leaders were also seen meeting EPS before visiting Shanmugam’s office, further fuelling speculation of internal realignment.

Meanwhile, another meeting chaired by EPS at his Greenways Road residence reportedly saw the participation of 16 district secretaries, including R.B. Udhayakumar, Pollachi Jayaraman, Velachery Ashok, K.P. Kandhan and Chitlapakkam Rajendran.

Reports also claimed that only 13 MLAs attended the EPS-led gathering. Senior leaders, including Dindigul Srinivasan, K.P. Munusamy, P. Valarmathi and Rajya Sabha MP Thambidurai, are also believed to have attended the EPS camp meeting.

With AIADMK having 82 district secretaries and 47 MLAs, confusion now prevails over which leaders are backing which camp.

When asked about the developments, C.V. Shanmugam remarked, “Wait and see.”

Amid the growing speculation, former MLA Manimekalai publicly defended EPS, asserting that only he has the capability to lead the AIADMK.

Rejecting calls for his resignation as general secretary, she pointed out that EPS had won his constituency with a margin of nearly 98,000 votes and insisted there was no need for him to step down. She also expressed confidence that the party would analyse the reasons behind the electoral setback and revive the iconic “Two Leaves” symbol in the coming days.

–IANS

aal/dpb