Chennai: Adding to the woes of a beleaguered AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), already deserted by a sizeable number of its legislators following internal crisis, former Minister Semmalai on Monday announced his resignation from the party, citing growing dissatisfaction over the party’s functioning. He also complained having been sidelined for years after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
In a strongly worded statement, Semmalai expressed disappointment over the current state of affairs within the party, saying recent developments had caused him deep mental anguish.
The resignation serves only to compound the factional tensions and add to public disagreements among senior leaders and uncertainty surrounding the party’s future direction.
Semmalai alleged that after Jayalalithaa’s demise, several opportunities within the party had been denied to him despite his long-standing contribution and loyalty. He added that deserving leaders and cadres were increasingly being overlooked, creating frustration among many party workers.
He questioned how a party that once stood as a powerful political force in Tamil Nadu had reached such a stage of instability. Referring to the ongoing internal clashes, Semmalai said the developments were painful for cadres who had worked tirelessly for the growth of the party over decades.
Using a sharp metaphor, he remarked, “Camphor may dissolve, but should a party dissolve?” -- a statement widely viewed as a criticism of the leadership’s inability to control the deepening crisis within the organisation.
To put matters in perspective, 25 rebel MLAs had defected from the party and ignored a party whip and voted in favor of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government's trust vote. In response, party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami sacked 26 rebel district secretaries, including 12 legislators.
Semmalai’s exit is being seen as another challenge for the AIADMK in this context.
Political observers believe his resignation could trigger further turmoil within the party ranks over leadership and internal democracy. However, Semmalai dismissed the possibility of joining another political party.
While the AIADMK leadership had not immediately issued an official response to Semmalai’s announcement, his departure has added another layer of pressure on the party.
(Inputs from IANS)