AIADMK Bypoll Snub: Key Dissidents Left Out of Campaign Trail! 🗳️

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is making headlines with its recent decision to exclude prominent dissident Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from its official by-election campaign programmes. This move comes ahead of crucial bypolls in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly constituencies, sparking discussions about internal party dynamics and future unity.

Among those notably absent from the list of star campaigners are S.P. Velumani, C.Ve. Shanmugam, and Natham R.

Viswanathan. Interestingly, the party's general secretary, Edappadi K.

Palaniswami, and 13 other sitting legislators are prominently featured.

The official reason for submitting such a list to election authorities is to ensure that campaigners' travel expenses are not counted towards the candidates' individual election expenses. Former Minister of Power, Mr. Thangamani, a key figure in the dissident faction, has also been left out, along with his colleagues K.P.

Anbalagan, P. Balakrishna Reddy, and K.C. Veeramani.

This exclusion highlights a deep-seated friction within the party that has been brewing for months. However, some former rebels, like R. Kamaraj and G.

Hari, appear to have found their way back into the party's good graces, making their inclusion in the campaign list. The internal strife intensified approximately four months ago when 25 legislators voted in favor of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government during a trust motion in the Assembly. This action prompted Mr.

Palaniswami to remove 26 district secretaries, many of whom subsequently joined the dissident camp or even defected to the TVK.

This political churning has even necessitated the current by-elections, as the TVK's nominees, Maragatham Kumaravel and P.

Sathyabama, were originally from the AIADMK before supporting the TVK regime.

Despite attempts by Mr. Palaniswami to offer alternative positions, such as deputy general secretary roles to Mr. Velumani and Mr.

Viswanathan, and organisation secretary posts to others, most dissidents have declined these offers. They have also largely abstained from consultations chaired by Mr.

Palaniswami to review the party's performance in past assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Mr. Palaniswami is set to campaign vigorously, with three days scheduled for each constituency: September 24-25 and October 3 in Madurantakam, and September 27-28 and October 2 in Dharapuram. The bypolls are seen as a significant test for the AIADMK's internal cohesion and its standing in Tamil Nadu politics, especially with key figures sidelined from the public campaign.

The coming weeks will show how this internal dynamic impacts the election outcome.

#AIADMK #TamilNaduPolitics #Bypolls #MadurantakamDharapuramBypolls