AIADMK amends party bylaws to add more strength to present leadership

Empowering ordinary party members again, to elect the top party leadership, is a key feature and in toto, such changes are apparently aimed at aiding the current AIADMK leadership in more ways than one.

The changes, effected in the Executive Committee meet held at the party headquarters here are expected to help the leadership in important legal matters. While a case against the AIADMK leadership by Sasikala is pending in a court here, another matter is in the Delhi High Court, wherein former MP and expelled leader, K C Palanisamy is the petitioner.

Also, the move is seen as aimed at bringing ‘power parity’ between Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, coordinator and joint coordinator respectively of the party and try to preempt intra-party wranglings seen in the past over ‘dual leadership.’ While several sections of the party had favoured Palaniswami, others had thrown their weight behind Panneerselvam.

The first amendment mandates a ‘single vote’ by ‘primary members’ to elect the top leadership, which is the two positions of coordinator and joint coordinator. The changes adopted in the EC meet makes it clear the coordinator and joint coordinator would be elected by party’s primary members. While the posts are two, there cannot be separate votes, as the twin positions together constitute the party top leadership, effectively a single entity.