AIADMK struggles to resolve power tussle in party’s IT wing

CHENNAI: In the absence of wider television coverage, T T V Dhinakaran’s AMMK has taken to social media in a big way through its IT wing, while the DMK has roped in party members even up to the booth committee level. But, the ruling AIADMK, which was the first to spot this opportunity a few years ago, is squandering away precious time in the run up to the elections, with the leadership struggling to resolve issues among aspirants in its own IT wing.
A tussle had been brewing in the IT wing, ever since the merger between the Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam factions of the party, when Singai G Ramachandran, from the OPS camp, wrested the IT wing secretary post from Raj Sathyan, son of AIADMK MLA Rajan Chellappa. The struggle between the two had become strident over the past four to five months, with both camps running parallel campaigns for the party on social media, say party insiders.
“The party leadership, which has been busy filling up various posts to retain support base, had deployed senior leader C Ponnaiyan to mediate between the two to break the ice and find a amicable solution. But, despite hectic mediation efforts over the past ten days, including a session of intense arguments between the two camps last week,a solution is yet to be found,” said an AIADMK source, privy to the developments in this section of the party. “While TTV and DMK have been pushing hard their party’s presence on social media, we are unable to solve the internal differences in the IT wing,” the source added.
When contacted Ponnaiyan sought to differentiate between filling other posts and the tussle in the IT wing of the party. “Other appointments are different from this, as there is no vacancy in the party’s IT wing, with Ramachandran heading it. We are, however, planning to give it a fillip to make it more hitech. The party leadership is preoccupied with multiple efforts to strengthen the party and counter opposition’s false allegations,” Ponnaiyan told TOI.