Chennai, Oct 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has removed more than 100 party functionaries aligned with former minister C.V. Shanmugam from their organisational posts in Villupuram district, escalating an internal confrontation over his leadership following successive electoral defeats.
The action targets office-bearers in Mayilam union, which falls within Shanmugam’s Mayilam Assembly constituency.
Those stripped of their positions include union-level functionaries and branch secretaries, signalling a wider organisational crackdown against supporters of the dissident leader in his political stronghold.
The latest removals come amid renewed demands from senior leaders, including Shanmugam and former minister S.P. Velumani, for an immediate general council meeting to discuss the party’s electoral reverses and examine the reasons behind its declining performance.
Discontent within the AIADMK first surfaced after its defeat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election in April. A section of legislators, led by Shanmugam and Velumani, challenged Palaniswami’s leadership, opening divisions within the party.
Shanmugam subsequently continued to operate with a separate group of supporters, deepening the organisational divide in Villupuram district.
Palaniswami replaced Shanmugam as the party’s Villupuram district secretary with Pasupathi. Since then, rival groups have functioned in the district, with one owing allegiance to Shanmugam and the other working under the newly appointed district secretary.
The leadership dispute intensified after the AIADMK suffered further setbacks in the recent Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, finishing third in both constituencies.
Those defeats prompted another round of criticism from senior functionaries dissatisfied with the party’s direction.
Shanmugam, Velumani and other leaders renewed their call for a general council meeting, seeking a discussion on the setbacks and the leadership’s response.
Palaniswami, however, has responded to the internal challenge by removing organisational responsibilities from functionaries associated with those opposing him.
The latest action follows an earlier round of removals in July, when several Shanmugam supporters lost their party positions after his ouster as district secretary.
Those changes failed to resolve the factional dispute, with the two groups continuing to function separately.
By extending the removals across multiple organisational levels in Mayilam union, Palaniswami has intensified his effort to assert control over the district unit.
The sweeping action has brought the continuing leadership struggle into sharper focus as the AIADMK faces pressure from within to address its electoral decline and rebuild its organisation following repeated defeats at the polls.
Source: IANS
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