In a shocking decision amid being the opposition party in Tamil Nadu, ADMK has decided to skip the television debates with the news channels. The first-of-its-kind decision was taken by both the top leaders Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam in their bid to prevent further defamation against the party when it has already been facing intra-party furores and leadership crisis. 

The ADMK has on Monday said that the party members and spokespersons will boycott televisions debates. Both the leaders had claimed that these debates on news channels are defaming the party. The leaders had also requested the media to stop inviting the party's spokespersons for television debates and directed the members to stop attending the debates on behalf of the party. The decision has stunned the state as it is imperative for ADMK to speak out at the political arena being the opposition party. 

On Monday, a joint statement by Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam said, "The fourth pillar of democracy- media is debating on topics that bring disrepute to the party and a stain to the party leader, instead of speaking and highlighting the basic problems faced by the people every day." The leaders have also alleged that the television debates are degrading the party in a way of upsetting the party members. 

They further said in the statement, "ADMK party members and spokespersons will not take part in the television debates on behalf of the party. We urge the media to stop making their representatives talk for us. We also request that the media neither accept nor invite anyone with a name that reflects the party. They should not invite selective members and call them as the ADMK representatives." The decision from the party has come at a high time when the ADMK needs to address important issues from VK Sasikala's political comeback to responding to the issues within the party. 

Though the ADMK has decided to stay off from the television cameras, the political observers say that it is less likely that the party would hold a grip on its stand of boycotting debates. Political parties can't stay away from the debates for a long time and Tamil Nadu already has a reminiscing event in this regard. In 2019, then BJP Tamil Nadu President Tamilisai Soundararajan has said that the BJP members and spokespersons will not participate in the debates.

She claimed that these debates were biased and that there was no equal opportunity and space for the party. However, her decision didn't last long as the BJP members had reappeared in the television debates after weeks from her announcement and they took part in most of the debates after the new leadership formed in the state. While it's the first time that the ADMK had announced to skip the debates, it will no surprise even if the party breaches its own stand, like the BJP. 

As the state is inching closer to the local body polls in the nine districts and as VK Sasikala is working out her plan of a political comeback and taking over ADMK's control, the party will most likely go in BJP's way and would resume attending the debates. The ADMK will be pushed to the state of speaking out and responding to the media during the state budget and when the ruling DMK releases the white paper on the financial state of Tamil Nadu, which would trouble ADMK.