AIADMK veterans Shanmugam, Vijayabaskar set to join TVK on Sunday
Synopsis
Two of AIADMK's most prominent former ministers — C.V. Shanmugam and C. Vijayabaskar — are reportedly on the verge of joining TVK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. If confirmed, their entry would further hollow out the principal Opposition and consolidate Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's legislative base after a coalition-dependent election win.
Key Takeaways
Former AIADMK ministers C.V.
Vijayabaskar are reportedly set to join TVK at its Panaiyur headquarters on Sunday, 8 June 2025 .
TVK won 107 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections , short of the 118-seat majority required to govern alone.
During the trust vote, all 25 MLAs from the Velumani-Shanmugam camp voted in favour of the TVK government.
AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel , Jayakumar , Sathyabama , and Isakki Subbiah have already formally joined TVK.
Former minister Vellamandi Natarajan has also crossed over; further defections could significantly strengthen TVK's position.
Former AIADMK ministers C.V. Shanmugam and C. Vijayabaskar, along with several other senior leaders, are reportedly preparing to formally join the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) at the party's Panaiyur headquarters on Sunday, 8 June 2025. The anticipated defections, if confirmed, would mark another significant shift in Tamil Nadu's rapidly evolving post-election political landscape.
Background: TVK's Fragile Majority
TVK, led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, emerged as the single-largest party in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, winning 107 seats — falling short of the 118-seat majority needed to govern independently. The party has since stitched together a coalition by drawing support from former allies of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance.
Congress was the first to break ranks with the DMK bloc and back the TVK government, earning two ministerial berths and subsequently a Rajya Sabha seat. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which initially offered outside support, later entered the administration and received one ministerial post each. The CPI(M) and CPI have continued to extend unconditional support.
The AIADMK Fracture and the Trust Vote
Political tensions sharpened when AMMK General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran alleged that his party's MLA Kamaraj had been lured away by TVK through political bargaining — a charge that underscored the fluid loyalties at play.
Ahead of the confidence vote, Chief Minister Vijay held direct discussions with the AIADMK faction led by S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam, which had been functioning as a distinct grouping within the party. During the trust vote, all 25 MLAs from the Velumani-Shanmugam camp, along with AMMK MLA Kamaraj, voted in favour of the TVK government.
In the immediate aftermath, AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar, Sathyabama, and Isakki Subbiah resigned their positions and formally crossed over to TVK.
Who Stayed Outside — And Why It Matters
A section of the dissident AIADMK legislators subsequently returned to the fold of party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, reportedly under the guidance of S.P. Velumani. However, C.V. Shanmugam and C. Vijayabaskar have remained outside that realignment, fuelling persistent speculation about their next move.
Former AIADMK minister Vellamandi Natarajan and others have already joined TVK. Neither Shanmugam nor Vijayabaskar has made any public announcement as of this report, but according to sources, their entry into TVK could come as early as this weekend.
What This Means for Tamil Nadu Politics
Any further defections from AIADMK to TVK would meaningfully reinforce the ruling party's legislative strength and deepen the erosion of the principal Opposition. This is the latest chapter in a post-2026 realignment that has fundamentally redrawn Tamil Nadu's Opposition landscape. All eyes are now on Panaiyur on Sunday.
Point of View
Leader by leader, into the ruling party. Edappadi K. Palaniswami now faces the prospect of leading an Opposition that is structurally thinner each week. The deeper question is whether TVK, having absorbed so many former rivals, can maintain ideological coherence — or whether it becomes a catch-all vehicle whose internal contradictions surface at the next electoral test.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which former AIADMK leaders are set to join TVK?
Former AIADMK ministers C.V. Shanmugam and C. Vijayabaskar are reportedly set to join TVK at the party's Panaiyur headquarters on Sunday. Several other senior leaders are also expected to make the switch, according to reports.
Why did TVK need support from other parties to form the government?
TVK won 107 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections but needed 118 seats for a majority. The party secured support from Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI(M), and CPI, as well as dissident AIADMK MLAs, to pass the confidence vote and form the government.
What happened during the Tamil Nadu Assembly trust vote?
All 25 MLAs from the AIADMK faction led by S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam, along with AMMK MLA Kamaraj, voted in favour of the TVK government during the confidence vote. Several of those legislators subsequently resigned from AIADMK and formally joined TVK.
Who else from AIADMK has already joined TVK?
AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar, Sathyabama, and Isakki Subbiah, as well as former minister Vellamandi Natarajan, have already crossed over to TVK ahead of the reported Sunday event.
What does this mean for AIADMK and the Tamil Nadu Opposition?
The continuing defections are significantly weakening AIADMK's position as the principal Opposition party. Each departure further erodes party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami's legislative strength and consolidates TVK's hold on Tamil Nadu politics.
