A fresh round of infighting has surfaced in the AIADMK, with a section of party MLAs raising objections against general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), according to reports.
After the party’s defeat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the AIADMK is said to have explored ways to return to power, including attempts to form a government with support from the DMK and smaller parties. As part of those efforts, the party’s winning MLAs were reportedly housed at a resort in Puducherry, but the plan was later dropped due to insufficient backing.
Differences have also emerged among the MLAs over whether the party should extend support to Vijay’s TVK. While one group argues that aligning with TVK could help avoid another five years out of power, others warn that such a move could dilute the AIADMK’s identity.
On May 9, a meeting of the party’s winning MLAs was held under EPS’ leadership. Sources said senior leader C.V. Shanmugam raised questions during the meeting, including criticism of the alliance strategy and allegations that funds were not provided for election expenses.
Within hours, Shanmugam convened a separate meeting at his office, attended by more than 30 AIADMK MLAs. Participants reportedly levelled sharp allegations against EPS and demanded that he step aside from all party responsibilities, warning that any disciplinary action against dissenters could push the party towards a split.
