After Amma: AIADMK's struggle to fill the void left by Jayalalithaa

NEW DELHI: Nearly a decade after J Jayalalithaa’s death, the AIADMK is still trying to rediscover itself. Once held together by Amma’s towering authority, the party has spent years battling leadership struggles, electoral setbacks and shifting alliances, even as it prepares for another high-stakes assembly election in 2026.On Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary, the question looms large: has the AIADMK truly moved beyond the vacuum she left behind, or is it still searching for a leader who can restore its lost dominance?Once a dominant force under Jayalalithaa’s leadership as party supremo, the AIADMK held significant influence in the state’s political landscape. But how has the party reshaped itself after her death, and how has it navigated internal infighting over her true political heir following the passing of Tamil Nadu’s leading lady in 2016?From delivering a major blow to the Vajpayee government, to its on-and-off ties with the saffron party, and now to a carefully considered continuation of the alliance for the upcoming polls despite recent setbacks, along with a mention in PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Amma’s AIADMK has remained impossible to ignore, whether the BJP was vulnerable or politically dominant.

"Remembering Jayalalithaa Ji on her birth anniversary. She has made a place in the hearts and minds of countless people as a charismatic leader and outstanding administrator. Her life journey was one of immense grit and determination. As the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, she championed welfare-driven governance with a strong focus on women empowerment, social justice and inclusive development. She was both compassionate and decisive.

I recall with great joy my interactions with her," said PM Modi.With Tamil Nadu heading towards assembly elections scheduled for the summer of 2026, it will be the second such poll without Jayalalithaa’s formidable presence. The 2021 assembly elections had dealt a major blow to the AIA

DMK

, as the party suffered a major defeat at the hands of DMK leader and M Karunanidhi's son,

MK Stalin

.

Not exactly the void after the strong leadership of Amma was filled as the party struggled with contenders within, for now Edappadi Palaniswamy, known for short as EPS, now in the role of captaining the AIADMK ship, established a strong eye on the Chennai's chair.

The leadership vacuum after 2016

Immediately after Jayalalithaa’s passing, senior party leader

O Panneerselvam

, popularly known as OPS, assumed the office of chief minister. However, he was widely away and unable to fully fill Amma’s shoes, given her towering personality and mass appeal.Her gravitas and unmatched mass connect, cultivated over the stretch of years in public life, drew oceanic crowds onto the streets as she was laid to rest at Chennai’s iconic Marina Beach, beside her political guru and AIADMK founder, MG Ramachandran.

OPS vs EPS: Battle for the party’s soul

After Amma’s, senior party leader OPS found himself comfortably succeeding to Jayalalithaa’s chair, but not for long. Within less than a year, he was demoted. In February 2017, EPS rose to the top post. Months later, OPS began serving as deputy chief minister under his new boss, this time not Jayalalithaa, but a man from a rival faction within the party, Edappadi K. Palaniswamy, who is a few years younger than him.The EPS-OPS relationship began to strain as both AIADMK stalwarts engaged in an ugly duel, gradually making the rival DMK appear stronger and ultimately paving the way for MK Stalin to claim a strong chief minister’s chair.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK leadership was drawn into a legal battle, with EPS and OPS each denying the other authority and asserting their own claim to the party chief post—the position of general secretary.The dispute between the two veterans was taken up by the Madras high court and later by the Supreme Court, both of which eventually ruled that EPS was the more suitable leader for AIADMK, leading the expulsion of O Panneerselvam.

The Sasikala chapter

However, Amma’s death did not immediately pit EPS and OPS against each other. The real player at the center of the initial power struggle was the Sasikala family. Sasikala, a close aide of the most powerful woman in Tamil Nadu, was often described by some as Jayalalithaa’s shadow and by others as her friend. Yet it was the then-CM and party chief, Jayalalithaa herself, who spoke most kindly of Sasikala, describing her as “almost like a sister.

”Sasikala, after Amma's demise, immediately selected unanimously as the acting general secretary of AIADMK and soon after that she was selected as the leader of assembly but sitting-chief minister then, OPS rebelled against Sasikala and reported that he had been compelled to resign as Tamil Nadu CM, bringing in a new twist in state's politics.Sasikala also installed her nephew, TTV Dhinakaran, as the party’s deputy general secretary.

Dhinakaran, who later began leveraging Amma’s legacy for political currency, eventually floated his own party after the EPS-led AIADMK expelled Sasikala from the organisation. He went on to found a new outfit named after Jayalalithaa -- the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).Following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case linked to Jayalalithaa, Sasikala was sentenced to four years in prison and lodged at Bengaluru Central Prison.

Before beginning her jail term, she appointed EPS as the AIADMK’s legislative party leader, paving the way for him to assume the office of chief minister.

EPS consolidates control

In a dramatic turn, EPS later expelled members of the Sasikala family from the party and also removed OPS from key positions, consolidating his control over the AIADMK.After sidelining bigwigs such as former CM Panneerselvam and distancing the Sasikala faction, EPS has strengthened his grip on the party command.

He now continues to position himself as the AIADMK’s undisputed leader, aspiring to reclaim the top post in the state and challenge incumbent MK Stalin’s leadership.

'Good news will come': Sasikala

However, on the occasion of her birth anniversary on Tuesday, Sasikala also floated the idea of launching her own party, yet another attempt to invoke Amma Jayalalithaa’s name and legacy as political currency.

Speaking to reporters, Sasikala said, “Today there is an event for Amma's birthday.

We are conducting an event for her birthday in which good news will come.”

2016: Amma’s final electoral triumph

Amma's last elections in Tamil Nadu, made her considerably losing control on many seats, declining the number of seats, she had won in 2011 elections. Still Jayalalithaa was able to push her boat beyond the mark of magic numbers -- a majority -- 118 out of 234 seats, -- Amma-led party secured 136 seats, without any support of alliance, not even with the BJP -- a national party which has had a bitter and sweet relations with Jayalalithaa's AIADMK.Under Jayalalithaa’s leadership, the AIADMK won the assembly polls and made history by becoming the first ruling party in Tamil Nadu since 1984 to return to power, albeit with a simple majority.This was the last election contested by J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi, as they passed away later in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

2019: Lok Sabha drubbing after her demise

The AIADMK faced one of its biggest setbacks in the 39-seat Tamil Nadu battleground during the Lok Sabha elections.

After the loss of its leading lady, the party was reduced to just one seat, a stark contrast to the landslide victory of 37 seats it had secured in 2014 under Amma’s leadership—clearly highlighting the impact of Jayalalithaa’s absence.However, the AIADMK was in alliance with the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who secured a commanding victory nationally and returned to power for a second consecutive term as PM.

In Tamil Nadu, however, the alliance performed disastrously and delivered a shameful result. No man—neither EPS nor Modi—was able to replicate the sweeping success that a lady, Jayalalithaa had achieved in the state in the 2014 elections.

2021: Assembly defeat and Stalin’s rise

The slide continued in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls as well. The EPS-led and Amma-less AIADMK, hoping to retain power, failed to stage a comeback. After the humiliating tally of just one seat in the Lok Sabha polls, the Amma-less party saw its strength shrink further in the assembly, reduced to double digits—far from what was needed to remain in power.Stalin, meanwhile, emerged stronger despite the passing of his father and DMK stalwart M Karunanidhi. This was also the DMK’s first election without its long-time patriarch. However, unlike the AIADMK, the DMK did not witness visible infighting or petty internal politics. That relative unity may have helped Stalin consolidate his leadership and firmly establish himself in the state’s top post.

2024 Lok Sabha polls: From setback to wipeout

Nothing changed for AIADMK in the 2024 general elections. The party remained at the bottom and, this time, failed to win even a single seat.

Once a formidable force under MG Ramachandran and later his successor Jayalalithaa, the party was reduced to insignificance in the Lok Sabha polls.

Old guards, new tensions within AIADMK

The setback has forced the AIADMK to virtually start afresh, even as several old guards continue to cast a shadow over its present. Sasikala and her nephew Dhinakaran intermittently adopt an aggressive stance in the new EPS-led era, while another veteran leader and former chief minister, O Panneerselvam, continues to launch barbs at the party leadership.

For many within the organisation, these developments are a far cry from the party’s olden, golden days.

Full circle politics: BJP and AIADMK find their way back

From the Vajpayee era to Prime Minister Modi’s recent tribute to “Amma” on her birth anniversary, the BJP’s ties with the AIADMK have come full circle, alliance, rupture, reunion. Even after electoral setbacks in Tamil Nadu, the saffron party has kept the door open to its old Dravidian ally, signalling once again that political necessity outweighs past differences.Union home minister Amit Shah has described the BJP-AIADMK partnership as a “natural alliance,” arguing that the 2024 Lok Sabha results would have looked dramatically different had the two contested together. “We fought together in 1998, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and in the 2021 assembly polls. But in 2024, we contested separately. If our vote shares are to be combined, we would have won 36 seats,” he said, adding that 2024 and 2025 had been victorious years for the BJP in several states and that the trend would repeat in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.For the BJP, the outreach specifies a hard truth: Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian voter base remains rooted in regional forces, primarily the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK. To rebuild a broader NDA footprint in the state, the party is also engaging smaller players and former allies.AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, meanwhile, has called the alliance “essential” to defeat what he terms an “anti-people” DMK regime.

“AIADMK will capture power with absolute majority in 2026… Never in the history of Tamil Nadu has there been such a corrupt, incompetent anti-people government,” EPS said.This latest AIADMK-BJP partnership, led once again by Edappadi K. Palaniswami -- now once again positioning himself as Jayalalithaa’s political heir and reshaping the party’s lineup, balancing longtime allies with those who keep him in check -- aims to take on a strengthened Stalin-led DMK, without Amma’s shadow yet again. Whether this renewed alliance will endure or prove another short-lived truce will ultimately be decided at the ballot box, as Tamil voters weigh legacy, leadership, and promises in the months ahead.