Is EPS Becoming Another Vaiko?

### Is EPS Becoming Another Vaiko?

Vaiko was once a compelling orator capable of captivating party cadres, yet he consistently failed to garner votes from the general public. Similarly, the former Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), appears capable of securing the support of general council members and lower-level party workers, but struggles to translate that into support from the general electorate.

Vaiko built his party from the ground up, managing to secure a small percentage of votes, which often made him a useful alliance partner. Consequently, his party, the MDMK, was frequently aligned with either the AIADMK or the DMK. However, as time progressed, a lack of a consistent, credible political stance caused his party’s popularity to wane; today, it rarely even contests elections under its own symbol.

In contrast, EPS is the General Secretary of a major political organization, the AIADMK, which possesses a robust structure extending from the grassroots to the ministerial level. Despite this structural advantage, EPS has struggled to lead the party to victory in major elections since he became Chief Minister in 2017.

The AIADMK, founded by MGR and later strengthened under J. Jayalalithaa’s leadership, successfully ruled Tamil Nadu for 31 years. Yet, since the shift in leadership to EPS, the party has faced consecutive losses in both State Assembly and Parliamentary elections.

Like Vaiko, EPS maintains a firm grip on his party’s internal machinery but fails to attract the public. This is often attributed to his perceived lack of coordination and his inability to unite the party during internal disputes.

Jayalalithaa, for instance, famously waited until she had solidified her authority before taking disciplinary action against dissenters. Conversely, EPS began taking action against O. Panneerselvam (OPS), Sengottaiyan, and other senior leaders before fully establishing himself as a successful and widely accepted Chief Ministerial candidate.

As a result, the AIADMK—a party that once held power for over three decades—risks becoming a shell of its former self, much like the MDMK, which is now largely reduced to Vaiko and his son, Durai Vaiko. If EPS does not change his approach, reconcile with expelled members, and stop purging those who voice dissent, the AIADMK may face a similar fate, eventually leaving only EPS and his inner circle in control of a diminished party.