States » SouthPosted at: Oct 13 2026 3:38PM


Bypoll rout in strongholds, internal rift within AIADMK widens, dissident seniors goes into huddle

Chennai, Oct 13 (UNI) The rout in the two seats in the October six bypolls, considered as their strongholds, has further widened the internal rift within the Opposition AIADMK and resurfacing of dissension, with a section of disgruntled seniors, who were already at loggerheads with the high command, going into a huddle for the last two days to chalk out their next move.
Ever since the TVK formed the government after a stunning show in the April general elections and heading the first ever coalition government in this Dravidian heartland after post-poll realignments--a concept never witnessed in the annals of Tamil Nadu politics, even when the DMK (which won 96 seats as against the required majority of 118) fell short of requisite numbers in the Assembly 1996 elections and completed its full five year tenure with the outside support of Congress--rebellion broke ou in the AIADMK.
The dissent in the party came to the fore following reports that both the two Dravidian majors DMK, which had 59 MLAs and was later deserted by its key allies, and AIADMK had explored the option of forming a government--with AIADMK at the helm with DMK's supprt--to stymie TVK leader Vijay from ascending the throne. Though the AIADMK leadership, while reiterating its long-adopted stand that DMK was a evil force, denied the reports and termed it as rumours, the disgruntled leaders refused to buy this theory and castigated the high command.
The first signs of rebellion reflected when one of the AIADMK veterans, C.Ve.Shanmugam was among the top leaders who led a group of 25 Rebels and voted in support of the confidence vote moved by Chief Minister in the State Assembly leading to a vertical split in the party in the State Legislature. Taking a serious view of the rebels violating the Party Whip, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K.Palaniswami removed all of them from the key party posts and also petitioned Speaker JCD.Prabhakar seeking to initiate disqualification proceedings under the Anti-defection law.
After four of the rebel MLAs quit and joined the TVK, the High Command condoned the action of remaining 21 members and withdrew the plea given to Speaker and urged him to drop the disqualification proceedings.
However, a couple of disgruntled seniors, including Shanmugham, Natham R.Viswanathan, S.P.Velumani and others, continued to be
at loggerheads with EPS after he refused to restore their original party posts and accommodated them in low key posts. They were repeatedly demanding EPS to convene the General Council meeting--the highest policy level decision making body of the party--to discuss the April poll rout in which AIADMK won a mere 47 seats and lost the principal Opposition status and finished third behind
the DMK. They also said they had no objections in EPS continuing to helm the party.
As the AIADMK had been facing successive drubbings in all the polls since 2019, they blamed the EPS, his leadership and alliance strategies for all the ills plaguing the party and firmly stood in their demand to convene the GC meeting, which however, went unheeded.
Amid a series of defections with several seniors and veterans, sitting MLAs and former Ministers switching to TVK, the AIADMK's
poor showing in recent two bypolls fuelled the anger of the disgruntled leaders and further widened the internal rift in the party. The
trio, all former Ministers and heavyweights in their respective districts, were joined by two other seniors and former Ministers P.Thangamani and K.P.Anbalagan. All the five had been holding closed-door meetings at Velumani's residence in Chennai for the last
two days to address the bypoll defeats in the seats considered as the party's strongholds.
While maintaining that they are all still with the AIADMK, the 'rebel camp' is exploring options to exert more pressure on EPS to convene the GC meeting to address consecutive electoral setbacks. As an immediate sign of protest, the dissident leaders are planning
to stay away from the AIADMK's 55th foundation day celebrations and public meetings scheduled for October 17, 22, and 23 as
regional heavyweights seek to regroup and mount pressure on the current leadership.
UNI GV 1530
Tags: #Bypoll rout in strongholds# internal rift within AIADMK widens# dissident seniors goes into huddle
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