Chennai:The scene of AIADMK leaders, legislators and cadre falling at their leader's feet was revived at the city airport when Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami left on a foreign trip on 28 August.
The scenes were similar to those witnessed during the days of Jayalalithaa when the adulation and sycophancy reached its zenith. A visibly happy Palaniswami did not stop the leaders and cadre from falling at his feet and was watching them with a broad smile on his face.
The visuals were promptly sent to the media by the government officials which is a clear signal that the Chief Minister and his supporters saw it in a positive light and wanted them to be highlighted by the media.
Former ministers BV Ramana, V Murthy and SP Shanmuganathan were the first to fall at the Chief Minister's feet followed by a few legislators and functionaries. Whenever Jayalalithaa was at the airport, ministers and leaders lining up before her and touching her feet was a usual sight.
Jayalalithaa had an iron grip over the party and the prostration culture was a visual display of loyalty to the 'permanent general secretary'. The revival of the same culture is seen as Palaniswami's eagerness to sideline AIADMK coordinator Panneerselvam and project himself as the unchallenged leader in the party.
The Chief Minister had started terming the government as 'my government' and using the phrases like 'the government headed by me' and "I have ordered the implementation of...". That was the language used by the former chief minister Jayalalithaa. But, Palaniswami is yet to prove his hold over the people and the party. Under his leadership the party was routed in 38 out of the 39 seats in the 2019 Parliament elections and lost 13 out of the 22 Assembly seats in the by-poll.
In the Parliament elections, Palaniswami was unable to stop the DMK from winning in his native Salem. Even in his own own Assembly segment, the DMK got more votes than his party and similar was the case in his own polling booth of Siluvampalayam.
During the quarter-century when Jayalalithaa acquired a larger-than-life persona with party cadre worshipping her as 'Amma', AIADMK leaders including Palaniswami were seen prostrating before their leader.
The entire cabinet would line up and bow before her with each minister vying with one another to be seen by their leader. Party members at all levels never hesitated to prostrate before her in public to display their devotion and she was hailed as a Goddess (Idhaya Deivam).
The prostration culture continued when VK Sasikala briefly took over as the AIADMK general secretary as senior leaders like Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam fell at her feet to show their new loyalty. Since then the prostration culture was absent for about two and a half years.
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