Chennai: Former ministers and MLAs continued to defy the AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palanisawmi, sparking concerns among the rank and file of the party. A section of the functionaries is disappointed by the lack of response from EPS and the absenteeism of MLAs in the review meetings. The functionaries want EPS to take concrete steps to arrest the exodus of leaders and strengthen the party.On Thursday, former minister K P Anbazhagan and Hosur MLA Balachandra Reddy skipped the district-wise review meeting convened by EPS in Chennai. A cross-section of AIADMK functionaries, whom TOI spoke to, said the review meetings hold little meaning when senior leaders from the respective districts were absent. “The opinions of the district leaders, who happen to be MLAs and former ministers, ought to be heard. It is these seniors who are in a position to implement corrective measures decided at the meeting,’’ said a functionary.The functionaries noted that Palaniswami had held similar review meetings following the AIADMK’s defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but no major restructuring followed.“Review meetings alone will not help unless the leadership addresses grievances and brings everyone together,” said a functionary from Trichy who attended Wednesday’s meeting. He pointed to the weakening of the party structure in the delta region after several senior leaders, including former minister C Vijayabaskar, shifted to the ruling TVK along with their supporters.One of the suggestions from party leaders was to form a committee to analyse reasons for the electoral setback and suggest remedial measures. Functionaries from Thanjavur had suggested inducting AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran into AIADMK. A functionary from Dharmapuri said EPS should pacify dissident leaders S P Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam, P Thangamani and Natham Viswanathan.“They are not challenging Palaniswami’s leadership. Their demand is for a structured review of the defeat and a roadmap to resolve differences and strengthen the party,” said a former district-level functionary from Tirupattur. “If the current issues are left unresolved, the impact could become visible in the local body elections,’’ he said.
