Chennai: The rift within the AIADMK deepened on Sunday as senior party leaders C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani convened a meeting with AIADMK MLAs, while general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) held a separate gathering of district secretaries. This division comes at a critical time, as TVK president C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as chief minister on the same day.
Majority of MLAs Join Rebel Faction
According to AIADMK sources, a majority of the party's MLAs and district secretaries attended the meeting called by the Shanmugam-Velumani group, while only a smaller section remained loyal to EPS. The discussions centered on supporting TVK during the upcoming floor test in the state assembly.
The rebel faction has decided to vote in favor of TVK, effectively breaking away from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). An AIADMK source confirmed, "MLAs supporting Shanmugam and Velumani have resolved to vote for TVK and exit the NDA."
Electoral Setback and Internal Blame
The AIADMK's poor performance in the recent assembly election—winning only 47 seats and losing the opposition party status—has fueled internal dissent. Former ministers and senior functionaries have blamed EPS for the party's continued electoral decline since he assumed the role of general secretary.
Shanmugam and Velumani, along with former minister C Vijayabaskar and others, initially proposed backing TVK immediately after the election results. However, EPS rejected the idea, leading to further discontent. The rebel group then secured support from more than two-thirds of the party's MLAs, providing them immunity under the anti-defection law.
Negotiations with TVK
The rebel leaders have established contact with TVK. An AIADMK leader revealed that Shanmugam reached out to TVK general secretary N Anand, expressing interest in supporting the party. However, TVK chief Vijay initially demanded that AIADMK MLAs resign and contest by-elections on TVK's whistle symbol. The MLAs are reluctant to do so, fearing backlash in their constituencies.
Efforts by some senior party members to mediate between the two factions have failed, sources said.
