AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami confronts Mekedatu dam row and pushes generational party reform

AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned Union Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary’s parliamentary reply on Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir across the Cauvery River, saying it misread the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict and ignored the principle that inter‑state rivers are national property. Palaniswami warned that the project could jeopardise downstream water supplies for Tamil Nadu, where the Cauvery is a vital source for drinking water and agriculture.

Within the party, functionaries across 85 districts called for a sweeping organisational overhaul centred on generational change. Recommendations include appointing younger and women leaders as deputy secretaries, expanding AIADMK’s digital and television outreach, increasing representation of under‑served communities, and expanding the number of party districts from 85 to 117 to revitalise the party ahead of upcoming elections.