At last, OPS, EPS shake hands; how long will the truce last?

A smiling O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami filing nomination papers together to become the coordinator and joint coordinator of the AIADMK through organisational elections denotes a truce arrived between the two warring leaders to keep their former boss and once-powerful V K Sasikala at bay.

The duo was on Monday elected unopposed as leaders of the AIADMK, which entered its golden jubilee year in October, effectively shutting the doors on Sasikala, the long-time aide of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, albeit for now.

AIADMK leadership feel vesting the powers of electing the leadership with primary members through an amendment to the by-laws will make the “dual leadership” stronger, since according to the party, Sasikala is no longer a member after she failed to renew her membership in 2017.

Also Read | O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami elected to AIADMK top posts in internal polls

Panneerselvam, Jayalalithaa’s choice to stand-by as CM twice when she had to resign due to corruption cases, and Palaniswami, thrust into the political limelight by Sasikala, haven’t been on good terms ever since they were forced to bury their differences and come together at the behest of the BJP, which still has a considerable influence over the AIADMK.

However, what could have been the tipping point towards arriving at the truce is Panneerselvam asserting his authority within the AIADMK in mid-October by pitching for a debate on Sasikala’s re-induction into the party. OPS’ public statement was a rude shock to Palaniswami, who is dead opposed to any such move, and this might have brought in a change of mind.

The two leaders, sources in the party said, now understand that “dual leadership” and projecting a “united face” only can achieve their twin goals -- controlling the party themselves and preventing Sasikala from hopping onto the AIADMK bus.

Also Read — Wary of Sasikala, AIADMK goes for internal polls

It is also the realisation within the EPS’ camp that continued sidelining and erosion of Panneerselvam’s authority could push him towards the Sasikala camp, eventually leading to a vertical split in the party, that seems to have fastened the truce pact.

The truce works for OPS as well -- he will continue to be the coordinator, a post that places him a notch above Palaniswami in the party hierarchy – compared to playing the second fiddle for Sasikala or walk into political oblivion.

In the event of Sasikala controlling the party, both OPS and EPS would lose their authority in the AIADMK.

Also Read — Dual leadership to continue, all is well within party, says AIADMK

Sasikala’s reentry would also mean the party is controlled by her Mannargudi clan yet again, one of the prime reasons that political analysts attribute to the Jayalalithaa’s aide not gaining any traction despite AIADMK’s loss in the assembly polls. The family might spread its tentacles wide within the party and the majority in the party seems against such a scenario, the analysts said.

Despite several attempts, Sasikala, who was a backroom player when Jayalalithaa was alive, has not been able to galvanize the AIADMK cadre and her visit to flood-affected areas also received a lukewarm response from the public and her supporters.

Prof. Ramu Manivannan, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, told DH that all the three stakeholders – OPS, EPS, and Sasikala – are playing their own survival game.

Also Read | AIADMK expels its Muslim face for supporting Sasikala

“AIADMK per se is still an asset and is not a liability. The party has a certain legacy thanks to M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa and that is why we see an intense fight for the leadership. No one wants to leave the legacy. Sasikala can launch a party of her own if she wants, but she won’t because she wants a say in the AIADMK because of the legacy attached to it,” he said.

The individual compulsion of OPS and EPS seems to have solved the raging leadership issue in the AIADMK, for now. But the larger question of how long the peace will last remains unanswered – the leadership question might remerge once elections to urban local bodies are over.

Will Sasikala have a chance then? Only time can answer.

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