The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) plunged deeper into internal crisis on Tuesday, 12 May, as senior party leader and former Minister C.V. Shanmugam publicly accused party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) of exploring a tie-up with the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) — and announced that a faction of AIADMK legislators would extend support to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. The open rebellion marks one of the most significant ruptures in the party since the death of J. Jayalalithaa.

Shanmugam's Accusations Against EPS

Addressing the media in Chennai alongside former Minister S.P. Velumani and other senior leaders, Shanmugam alleged that during internal consultations held after the party's bruising electoral defeat, EPS proposed exploring the possibility of forming a government with DMK support. "AIADMK was founded to oppose the DMK. We were shocked when such a suggestion was made. We clearly told him that any move towards the DMK would destroy the identity of the AIADMK," he said.

Shanmugam described the party as passing through "one of the most difficult phases in its history" following consecutive electoral setbacks, and called for an urgent revival rooted in the legacy of M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa.

The Electoral Context

The immediate backdrop is the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, in which the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was pushed to third place, winning only 47 seats. Shanmugam acknowledged the verdict with stated humility, saying the alliance had failed to win the confidence of the people. Notably, this follows the party's defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections as well, making it back-to-back losses — a pattern that has fuelled internal recriminations and blame-shifting.

New Legislature Party Leadership Announced

In a direct challenge to EPS's authority, the rebel faction announced parallel organisational appointments. S.P. Velumani was declared the leader of the AIADMK Legislature Party, while former Minister C. Vijayabaskar was named party whip in the Assembly. A majority of AIADMK MLAs, according to Shanmugam, also passed a resolution declaring that the pre-poll alliance no longer existed and formally decided to extend support to the TVK government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Demand for General Council Meeting

Shanmugam said senior leaders had urged EPS to immediately convene the AIADMK General Council to analyse the reasons behind the party's repeated defeats and initiate corrective measures. The demand signals that the rebel faction is seeking to use formal party structures — rather than a clean split — to challenge EPS's grip on the organisation. Whether EPS complies or dismisses the demand is likely to determine the next flashpoint.

Two Factions, Parallel Consultations

The developments come amid widening divisions, with one faction loyal to EPS and another aligned with Velumani and Shanmugam holding parallel consultations over recent days. The AIADMK has a history of post-succession factional battles — most notably the O. Panneerselvam versus EPS conflict that eventually saw OPS expelled — and the current rupture follows a similar template of a post-election reckoning. How the party's rank and file, and crucially its remaining electoral base, responds to this split will shape Tamil Nadu's opposition landscape for years ahead.