A NEW AIADMK

At its July 11 meet, the AIADMK general council (GC) reverted to the earlier hierarchy of an all-powerful general secretary (GS) at the helm rather than a system of dual leadership. In keeping with the Tamil penchant for honorifics, the party’s presidium chairman Tamil Magan Hussain proposed that the new interim GS be called ‘Ezhuchi Nayagan’. Others want to call him Puratchi Thalaimagan.

Fresh elections to the post of GS will be held in four months. The GS will have a five-year tenure and will choose a deputy GS, also for a five-year term. The GC also amended party laws to allow only those who have 10 years’ standing in the AIADMK or have been office-bearers at the party HQ for five years to contest for the GS. Ten district secretaries have to propose the nomination to the post of GS and another 10 have to second it.

With these changes in its constitution, the AIADMK has stepped out of Jayalalithaa’s shadow and their veneration of her as an ‘eternal GS.’ However, both the amendments and the ‘Two Leaves’ poll symbol are likely to be contested in court and before the ECI.