Chennai: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss, and his son and party’s president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss engaged in a heated exchange during the party’s new year general council meeting in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu Saturday over the appointment of the former’s grandson and latter’s nephew, P. Mukundan, as the leader of the state youth wing of the party.
Mukundan is the son of Ramadoss’s eldest daughter Gandhimathi.
Towards the end of the meeting, video clips of which are available online, Ramadoss announced that he was appointing Mukundan as the party’s youth wing secretary, while a visibly upset Anbumani murmured into the microphone, “bringing another one from the family”.
Anbumani then objected to the appointment. “It’s just been four months since he entered the party. You could appoint somebody who has experience and can work efficiently for the party.”
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However, Ramadoss was firm in his decision and asserted that PMK was founded by him and that his word is final with respect to party matters. “Those who do not want to listen to my words are free to quit the party,” he said.
To this, Anbumani responded, saying, “That’s right.”
An agitated Ramadoss then said that if he (Anbumani) wanted to go, he could.
After this, when Ramadoss was calling a party member from the dias to deliver the vote of thanks, Anbumani took over the microphone and said that he had set up a new office at Panaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai and that his supporters could meet him there.
Sources at PMK told ThePrint that the issue, which had been simmering within the party for long, finally came to light.
“Even at the time of appointing him (Mukundan) as the IT wing in-charge around four months ago, there were differences of opinion among the top leadership. However, it did not erupt in public until now,” a youth wing functionary told ThePrint.
Political analysts in the state remarked that the fight between the father and son would weaken the party further in the northern part of Tamil Nadu, where the Vanniyars— classified under most backward caste (MBC)—are based in large numbers.
“The party that was formed for the welfare of the Vanniyar community has been losing its support in recent years. After this fight, they will lose the support further. The people of the community have been socially deceived for a long time, and by such fights between the community leaders, the people are being deceived further,” Political commentator Sigamani said.
The PMK is a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The party had contested in 10 constituencies in Tamil Nadu in this year’s Lok Sabha elections, finishing in the second position in one seat, third in eight and fourth in one. In the 2021 assembly elections, the party had won seats.
PMK MLA R. Arul, however, said that there was no difference of opinion within the party and that whatever was discussed at the meeting would be resolved within hours.
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Dynastic politics
Dynastic politics is not new in Tamil Nadu. However, for the first time in the state, a family member in a party has opposed the induction of another member, revolting against the party’s founder publicly.
However, back in 1989 when Ramadoss had launched the PMK by merging over 30 Vanniyar caste associations, he had promised that he would not encourage dynastic politics. But he went on to bring in his son Anbumani and appointed him the youth wing secretary, before elevating him as the party’s president in 2022.
The youth wing functionary quoted above said that Anbumani was not against dynastic politics, but he wanted to position himself as the leader of the party.
“If he is against dynastic politics, he himself should not have stepped into politics. Second, he should not have let his wife Sowmiya Anbumani to contest in the recently held Lok Sabha election from the Dharmapuri constituency. It is a family issue and it has nothing to do with the Vanniyar people’s welfare,” the youth wing functionary said.
Political commentators in the state observed that the dynastic politics in Tamil Nadu has let down the strong second-rung leaders in the political parties. Commentator Sigamani said that it was not just Ramadoss, who had gone back on his word.
“Even MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) founder Vaiko, who parted ways with DMK in rebellion against the elevation of former chief minister M. Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Stalin, has made his son Durai Vaiko the principal secretary of the party, and he is the MP now. This has not only made the political party the asset of the family, but has discouraged and disowned the strong second-rung leaders in the party,” he explained.
According to Sigamani, leaders like former Union minister R. Velu and former PMK president Dheeran have been affected by the dynastic politics in the smaller parties.
Moorthy said that the elevation of the family members in a party via the autocratic style of ruling could alienate the new leader from the cadres.
“It’s a generational gap that has been waiting to explode. But the way Ramadoss has acted in public domain has exposed the worst side of family rule and the patronising arrogance of the party founder. He has to remember the fate of NTR, whose son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu upstaged him in the Telugu Desam Party because the former had suffered a massive disconnect with the second line of cadres,” he said.
However, according to another expert Raveendran Duraisamy, it was a corrective measure by Ramadoss to regain the lost vote share in the northern region.
“Instead of being dependent on the alliance, Ramadoss wanted to strengthen his party on his own. The party, which is stronger in the northern belt, is in the third position, leaving the second position to AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), visibly losing its traditional vote share to the latter. Appointing Mukundan could be a way to strengthen the party’s position among the Vanniyars,” he said.
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