Palaniswami vs C. Ve. Shanmugam: Is a fresh crisis brewing in AIADMK?

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is going through an unprecedented state of organisational paralysis following its relegation to third place in the 2026 Assembly elections. 

The emergence of a coordinated rebellion, centred in the northern stronghold of Villupuram and led by C. Ve. Shanmugam, has exposed deep structural fissures that the party's conflict resolution mechanisms are failing to contain. Under its general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), the AIADMK seems to be undergoing a new transition - from a disciplined cadre-based organisation to a personalised power-based party. This has triggered a breakdown of the party's coercive apparatus, threatening its long-term viability as a primary political force.

Known to be one of the critical pillars of the Vanniyar-belt stronghold, the Villupuram district has historically served as the AIADMK’s strategic northern anchor. The breakdown of order in this district signifies more than a localised dispute, representing a collapse of central party authority in its most vital geographic heartland. 

"When the party high command can no longer maintain hegemony in a primary vote bank region, the resulting power vacuum invites the street-level warfare currently witnessed between EPS loyalists and regional satraps. This is only happening in the party now,” says one of AIADMK’s Villupuram strongman C.Ve.Shanmugam’s supporters. He was part of the protest at the Jayalalithaa memorial on July 20. 

It all began at the beginning of July when the Villupuram executive cadres met at a local marriage hall. This meeting served as the flashpoint for this factional feud and the breakdown within the party. The meeting was organised by Pasupathi, the EPS loyalist recently appointed as district secretary to replace the recalcitrant Shanmugam. Upon Pasupathi’s arrival, the dissent became visible. 

Shanmugam’s supporters established a physical blockade of the venue, demanding Pasupathi's immediate exit. The subsequent forced entry by Pasupathi’s faction catalysed a direct physical confrontation within the auditorium, effectively halting the official business of the executive committee. Violence broke inside the meeting hall; the Krishnagiri-Puducherry highway was blocked by Shanmugam’s supporters, making it apparent that the party’s internal security and disciplinary hierarchy failed.

But now, on Monday, this internal organisational friction transitioned into a public physical aggression marked by several high-impact metrics. Amid the ongoing dispute, the AIADMK leadership removed 11 office-bearers, who are known to be Shanmugam’s loyalists, from their party posts. Those removed include district joint secretary Ananthi, district treasurer Venkatesan, youth wing secretary Jayaprakash, and Anna Trade Union secretary Bhaskaran.

However, EPS’s attempt to suppress dissent through the removal of the office bearers from Villupuram has significantly backfired. The purge triggered a symbolic and highly public demonstration at Jayalalithaa’s beachside memorial, where supporters signed resignation letters en masse. This revolt reached the party headquarters when former Tindivanam MLA P. Arjunan was heckled as a “backstabber” while attempting to submit the letters. “A total of 1151 functionaries and cadres from the Villupuram region have resigned,” said Arjunan. 

The AIADMK’s operational backbone consists of its general council members and lower-level functionaries who serve as the voting block for leadership legitimacy. The current crisis has moved beyond the legislative wing, hollowing out the party’s organisational core through a series of mass resignations and tactical purges. 

According to political observers and party insiders, the loss of order in Villupuram is particularly alarming as it suggests the party is losing its grip on the Vanniyar-belt voter base. If regional leaders like Shanmugam feel emboldened to use physical obstruction against the general secretary’s appointees, the AIADMK’s public image as a disciplined governance alternative is effectively decimated.

The AIADMK is facing a fundamental schism that threatens its transition from a primary political force to a collection of regional factions. The leadership’s reliance on purges and the abandonment of historical reconciliation pacts have hollowed out the party’s legitimacy. The AIADMK’s current trajectory suggests a permanent schism rather than a manageable restructuring. Without a return to the institutional magnanimity displayed in the Jayalalithaa era, the party risks becoming a peripheral actor in a new TVK-DMK bipolarity.

The Dravidian party founded by MGR and then helmed by Jayalalithaa is currently operating in a predatory recruitment environment. Following its 2026 electoral defeat, the party is no longer seen as the primary alternative to the DMK. The rise of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has fundamentally altered the competitive landscape, providing a viable destination for AIADMK defectors.