Former AIADMK ministers S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam—who had earlier raised objections to party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami—have now adopted a conciliatory stance, saying they believe he can bring back those who drifted away and rebuild the party.
The report recalls that after the Assembly election setback, a group of around 25 AIADMK MLAs led by Velumani and Shanmugam voted in the Assembly in support of the TVK government. They had also accused Palaniswami of attempting to form a government with the DMK. However, none of the dissident MLAs reportedly received positions in the TVK cabinet, leading to disappointment and a gradual return of more than 10 MLAs to Palaniswami’s side, while six resigned and joined TVK.
By-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram—held after the resignations—were won by TVK. The AIADMK, which had won these seats in the general election five months earlier, slipped to third place, intensifying internal criticism that the party’s repeated defeats stem from wrong decisions and a failure to carry everyone along.
Against this backdrop, AIADMK’s 55th anniversary celebrations were held across Tamil Nadu. Speaking in Coimbatore, Velumani said the party’s influence had not diminished despite the by-election loss, and urged Palaniswami to reunite those who left and strengthen the organisation. In Villupuram district, Shanmugam called for a “forgive and forget” approach, appealed for unity, and said he would extend full cooperation to strengthen the movement, while also expressing anguish over the removal of party functionaries in his constituency.
