The internal divisions within the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) were on full display on Monday during the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs at the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
MLAs aligned with party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami were seen seated separately from those loyal to senior leader C.V. Shanmugam, sources told ANI. The split reflected ongoing tensions within the opposition party, which had recently moved its MLAs to a private resort in Poorankuppam, Puducherry, amid heightened political activity surrounding government formation.
According to reports, there is a growing demand within the AIADMK for a change in legislative leadership, as the party struggles with successive electoral defeats. Since the death of former supremo J. Jayalalithaa, the party has lost two assembly elections—in 2021 and 2026—as well as two Lok Sabha polls, in 2019 and 2024.
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Palaniswami, popularly known as EPS, rose to the party’s helm following a prolonged internal battle after Jayalalithaa’s demise. However, recent developments suggest that his hold over the party and its MLAs may be weakening.
A few MLAs have called for Palaniswami to step down following the party’s poor performance in recent elections. Several senior leaders and former ministers, including Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani, along with their supporting MLAs, reportedly skipped meetings of party legislators chaired by Palaniswami in the aftermath of the results.
During the post-election negotiations last week, reports suggested, a significant section of AIADMK MLAs were inclined to support Tamilga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C. Joseph Vijay who had sought to secure the numbers needed to form a government. Vijay’s party, which won 108 seats—10 short of a simple majority—eventually formed the government with support from Congress and other smaller parties after days of intense parleys.
On May 5, a day after the election results were announced, over two-thirds of AIADMK MLAs inclined to back Vijay reportedly gathered at Shanmugam’s office in Pattinambakkam, Chennai. They are said to have sent an indirect warning to the party chief, suggesting that more than 30 MLAs could break away to back Vijay if no action was taken.
Palaniswami, however, was reportedly unwilling to join forces with Vijay and instead explored a potential alliance with the AIADMK’s arch-rival, the DMK, to prevent the actor-politician from forming the government.
"There is a clear split within the party. Many MLAs want a change in leadership. If Palaniswami continues as a leader, there is a possibility of some MLAs extending support to the TVK," former AIADMK leader K.C. Palanisamy told PTI.
Meanwhile, the newly elected members of the 234-seat assembly took the oath of office on Monday, a day after Vijay was sworn in as chief minister. TVK legislator M.V. Karuppaiah from Sholavandan, appointed as Pro-Tem Speaker on Sunday, administered the oath to the members.
