Chennai: AIADMK appears to be headed for a vertical split, with rival factions staking claim to the post of legislative party leader in the 17th Tamil Nadu assembly. The development comes soon after newly elected MLAs took oath on Monday, sparking a power struggle within the party.
EPS faction stakes claim
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami submitted a letter to pro-tem speaker M V Karuppaiah seeking recognition as leader of the legislature party and Thalavai Sundaram as party whip. The EPS faction argues that as party general secretary, Palaniswami is authorized to function as legislature party leader, citing party rules.
Rival camp counters
The faction led by C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani submitted separate representations to the pro-tem speaker, seeking recognition of Velumani as legislative party leader and C Vijayabaskar as whip. Sources indicate the Velumani-Shanmugam camp is eyeing a tie-up with TVK and trying to secure support from at least 32 MLAs to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. A source revealed, "There is a plan to remove Edappadi K Palaniswami from the post of general secretary."
Numbers game
Sources in the secretariat said the EPS faction currently enjoys backing from around 20 of the 47 AIADMK MLAs, while the Velumani-Shanmugam camp has the support of most of the rest. Despite the numbers favoring the rebels, officials indicated EPS could still have an advantage because he is party general secretary. The rival camp countered by insisting that only a formal meeting of AIADMK MLAs could elect the leader and submitted signatures of nearly 30 legislators backing Velumani.
Pro-tem speaker unlikely to decide immediately
Given the competing claims and the possibility of legal and political complications, sources said the pro-tem speaker was unlikely to take an immediate decision. The Palaniswami faction includes Agri S Krishnamurthy, O S Manian, Thalavai Sundaram and K C Karuppannan. The rival bloc has backing from Natham R Viswanathan, R Kamaraj, K C Veeramani and Balakrishna Reddy.
Historical context
The latest crisis marks the third major split in AIADMK's history. The first followed the death of former chief minister M G Ramachandran in 1987, when the party split between factions led by his widow Janaki Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. The second major rupture came after Jayalalithaa's death, when former chief minister O Panneerselvam rebelled in 2017 before eventually being expelled from the party in 2022.
