Dual leadership to continue in AIADMK

CHENNAI: The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu fended off a threat to its dual leadership structure, comprising Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, amid internal demands for a numero uno controller for the party similar to the regimes under past icons J Jayalalithaa and MG Ramachandran.

This suggests that the current pattern of leadership and decision-making would continue, at least in the near future. “There is no question of a single leadership for this party. The current style of functioning will continue,” said D Jayakumar, the state fisheries minister and party spokesperson, whose views were echoed by several leaders and ministers who attended a high-profile meeting held in Chennai on Wednesday.

Immediately after the district secretaries’ meeting, the AIADMK sent out a missive, instructing spokespeople and party functionaries to refrain from speaking about party affairs in public fora.


According to a senior party member present in the meeting, the leadership clearly indicated that controversial issues such as the need to revert to a sole leadership structure would not be discussed at the meeting.

The issue of single leadership has become a hot topic after Madurai North MLA Rajan Chellappa stressed on the need for a “charismatic” leader and not a dual leadership for the party. His assertion was seconded by Kunnam lawmaker RT Ramachandran, who pushed for a “unitary leadership” in a video message