What will the AIADMK committee steer?

CHENNAI: The ten-hour discussion that ended in the wee hours on Wednesday fructified the three-year-old demand of deputy chief minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam to constitute the steering committee. The party, however, is still to work on the role of the 11-member committee in the party that was a sticking point in discussion for announcing the CM candidate.

The general council of the AIADMK, after the merger in 2017, in one of the resolutions stated that a steering committee would be set up, in addition to the creation of posts of coordinator, joint coordinator and two deputy coordinators, doing away the post of general secretary, held by Jayalalithaa for three decades. In another resolution, it amended a bylaw -- inserting rule 20-C – and the general council stated, “The members of the advisory committee shall be selected/nominated by the coordinator and joint coordinator. They shall provide advice for the growth and success of the Kazhagam.” The amendments were acknowledged by the election commission in 2018.

So, what are the powers and functions of the committee? “It will be included in the bylaws,” Panneerselvam told reporters. The members of the OPS camp said the leader wanted a more powerful committee in place to steer the party and repeatedly demanded the same from the other side. Incidentally, the party revamped its apex body, Parliamentary board, only in November 2017, after the death of two members, J Jayalalithaa and Visalakshi Nedunchezian, and included Edappadi K Palaniswami, two deputy coordinators and former minister B Valarmathi. Its mandate is to identify the candidates for elections. Panneerselvam and presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan also are members of the board.
The party leaders say that ‘terms of reference’ for the steering committee will have to be worked out by the leadership and the general council will have to ratify it. The committee may be asked to assist the coordinator and joint coordinator in identifying office-bearers, shortlisting candidates, formation of alliances and initiating disciplinary action against erring cadres and functionaries. “The committee will perform the duties allocated and assigned by the coordinator and joint coordinator in the interest of the party,” said P H Manoj Pandian, one of the members of the steering committee.
Insiders say that when deputy coordinators, K P Munusamy and R Vaithilingam visited chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s residence on Sunday and persuaded him to set up the committee to resolve the deadlock, the latter is believed to have said that he had more than 100 aspirants for the committee. Palaniswami decided to convene a meeting of ministers the next day and conceded to OPS’s demand. “While the leadership took pains in providing representation to various castes, religions and regions, lack of representation to women and Muslims is glaring, which would not have happened if Amma was alive,” said a senior leader, seeking anonymity. There are more committees in the pipeline for propaganda, elections, and campaign.