The announcement that Edappadi Palaniswami would be the Chief Minister candidate of the AIADMK in the upcoming election to Tamil Nadu Assembly has been widely accepted by the party cadre. Though everything looks fine outwardly, resentment is brewing up in AIADMK leadership.

The 11-member steering committee announced on Wednesday to lead the party in the absence of a strong and tall leader like late Jayalalithaa has caused heartburn and discontentment among loyalists of late MG Ramachandran, party founder and late Jayalalithaa.

“This is not a fairly represented body ,” was the comment by KC Palaniswami, former party MP and a confidante of Jayalalithaa. He pointed out that party loyalists who stood throughout with MGR and Jayalalithaa had not been accommodated in the committee.

In the land of EV Ramasami Naicker, founder of Dravida Kazhagam which stands for a casteless society, it is castes that determine winners and losers. The steering committee has been constituted as per strength of castes.

Ministers P Thangamani and S P Velumani (Vellala Gounder), ministers Dindigal Srinivasan and R Kamaraj (Mukkulathoor/Thevar), minister C Ve Shanmugham (Vanniyar), JCD Prabhakar (Christian), PH Manoj Pandian (Nadar Christian), K Manickam (Devendra Kula Vellalar), minister D Jayakumar (fishermen), P Mohan (Pillai) and R Gopalakrishnan (Yadava) are the members.

 The non-inclusion of ministers KA Sengottaiyan, RB Udhayakumar and Sellur Raju is a major topic of discussion. K C Palaniswami said he was shocked by the non inclusion of Sengottaiyan and Dr Mythreyan, a four term MP in the committee. The steering committee was one of the pre-conditions set for merger by O Panneerselvam in August 2017. 

Palaniswamy said most of the members in the committee that would lead the party are junior persons in the party hierarchy. “There are no Muslims or women in this committee. And problems are certain to erupt in the near future itself,” said KCP.

VK Sasikala, serving a four-year long prison sentence in the disproportionate asset case may soon be released from jail. Palaniswamy said he does not want to speculate about eventualities that may happen in the AIADMK once Sasikala was released prematurely.

“We will cross the bridge when we come there,” said Palaniswamy.

Sources close to Panneeeselvam said on Saturday that the former chief minister has not been happy with the announcement about the declaration. “Issues are getting ready to break out at the time of election,” said Palaniswamy.