49 years of AIADMK : From MGR, Jayalalithaa to EPS, and everything in between

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) steps into its 49th year on Saturday. From its foundation by well-known Tamil movie superstar and producer MG Ramachandran in 1972 to 2020, where the party is led by its two prominent figures Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, the party has seen a lot of changes. What started as a tussle of power between Karunanidhi and MGR after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister CN Annadurai (Also called ‘Anna’) led to MGR forming the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Now, over 49 years since its formation, AIADMK has stood as one of the two leading parties in Tamil Nadu. 

MGR's role

The rise of the Dravidian rule in Tamil Nadu began more than 50 years ago when an attempt was made to overthrow the power status formed quo enjoyed by the trio of Brahmanism, Sanskrit language and North Indian politics, and yet down the line, from the political scenario of the state, it is evident that it has been shifting from one political crisis to another. A shining figure, both as an actor and politician, MG Ramachandran taking the role of the party’s chief and chief minister of Tamil Nadu, marked the beginning of a phase of the deification of its political leaders. MGR’s popularity in Tamil Nadu was a level unheard of and only added to the list of sweeping victories he made in several elections, remaining the chief minister of Tamil Nadu until his death in 1987. 

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Introduction to J Jayalalithaa

Rising in a political arena that was predominantly dominated by the likes of leaders like CN Annadurai, MGR  and others, J Jayalalithaa or Amma as she is fondly called by millions, her political career was not an easy start. Inducted into the party as its propaganda secretary, her maiden speech ‘Pennin perumai’, was one that struck a chord with many. Jayalalithaa’s accession to power post the death of MGR, her political mentor, was not easy. Since MGR had not named a successor when he died, a political battle started off between his wife Janaki and Jayalalithaa resulting in the formation of two factions of the AIADMK.

Despite severe backlash from within the party, and her rising popularity much like her mentor MGR, Jayalalithaa within a year of MGR’s demise was elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, becoming the first woman to become the Leader of the Opposition in the House. In her political career, Jayalalithaa faced nine elections and has won seven. In 1972, she was awarded the Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu. She also received honorary doctorates and other honours, beginning with an award from the University of Madras in 1991.

Throughout the years, Jayalalithaa served as Chief Minister for Tamil Nadu, she much like her mentor, brought out several schemes beneficiary for the public. These schemes defined her rule. She successfully built up a near-indelible personality cult through welfare schemes and the inexpensive food and water products branded "Amma". Subsidies made up more than a third of Tamil Nadu's revenue spending, and the policies endeared her to women and children. Speaking in an interview with Simi Garewal, she said, “It has been a tempestuous life and career".

She was called an 'Iron Lady', for the way she fought through, single-handedly holding her own, breaking a more than the 30-year-old culture of male dominance.

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AIADMK post Jayalalithaa’s demise

When the former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa died in 2016, several questions were raised on the future of the party that has been ruling the state for almost three decades. Once again the state was gripped in an emotional outrage and was followed by another political battle for power. The rift between Sasikala and O.Panneerselvam and the overall chaos in the party highlighted all that was wrong with the Dravidian movement.

Conditioned to be a single-leader run party over the years, be it MGR or Jayalalithaa, from the rise to politics from the lustrous world of cinema, the party and the people of the state were witnesses to multiple splits and splinter organizations not only as of recent, but over the last 5 decades. Few in the state expected Edappadi K Palaniswami to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, let alone to have lasted in that position four years down the line, again to be elected unanimously by the party as its CM candidate for the upcoming 2021 elections. A Jayalalithaa loyalist- Palaniswami came under the spotlight after a power tussle in the AIADMK that began after her death.

Senior party leader O Panneerselvam, a trusted aide of Jayalalithaa, became the CM. He had been interim chief minister twice when Jayalalithaa had to give up the chief minister’s post due to legal issues. But when VK Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s then-close aide who had been appointed as the party’s general secretary that time had coveted the post of CM, Panneerselvam had to resign as CM in February 2017. On February 14, the Supreme Court convicted Sasikala in a disproportionate assets case and upheld a four-year sentence given by a trial court. She then named Palaniswami as the CM. The party also expelled Panneerselvam and his supporters the same day.

In August 2017, Palaniswami in a move to strengthen the party, brought back Panneerselvam and the other disgruntled MLA’s into the party, not only making the latter deputy CM but also the duo went on to become the convenor and co-convener of AIADMK respectively. 

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AIADMK in 2020

Amidst recent turmoil owing to the selection of the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate position, the party back on its course, on Friday in a celebratory event marking 49 years of its formation exhorted cadres to take a vow to see that the party wins the 2021 Assembly polls for the third time in a row- a “historic feat,” to ensure it holds the reigns of power during its golden jubilee celebrations (2021-22) and work towards it from now on.

On the eve of the party’s foundation day celebrations, the party’s convenor and co-convenor, O Pannerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswani, in a letter to party workers, recalled the electoral success reaped by party founder MG Ramachandran and late supremo Jayalalithaa and emphasised hard work to reprise victories.

The duo also stated that as the party principle dictates, the state should reach the numero uno position in terms of educational and economic status and that the people of the state should lead a peaceful and happy life. “The AIADMK government is working tirelessly to build a community that promotes equality without any differences, based on the principles of social justice,” the letter stated.

Breaking down AIADMK’s rule in Tamil Nadu, as not only one of the long-standing Dravidian party, but also as a party that has seen many ups and downs, political analyst Sumanth C Raman speaking to Republic said, “The AIADMK throughout its 49 years of existence, has been in power for a very substantial period of time. Ever since its formation, almost 30 of its 49 years, the party has been in power in Tamil Nadu. That itself is a testimony to its success and that it has emerged as one of the largest political formations in the state. Though the style of functioning of the party has changed from being run in a top-down approach to a more democratic leadership style, the party itself has done a balancing act between various interests within the state, be it either religion or community or group and so on. That has endeared them.”

Speaking on the possibility of Superstar Rajinikanth and Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan’s entry into politics and drawing a comparison between the stalwart leaders of AIADMK (MGR, Jayalalithaa) where they took a political plunge while working in films, he added, “The kind of electoral magic that MGR or Jayalalithaa created, is something that’s not even possible in today’s day and age. Now, with social media, every single thing is scrutinized, and for someone to be portrayed larger than life, will be much more difficult. Even if Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan steps into TN’s political arena, for them to recreate that kind of magic will be very difficult. Not to forget, both Jayalalithaa and MGR were in politics long before they led their party to power.”

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