Rift between PMK founder Ramadoss son widens

    Chennai, Jul 12 (PTI) The disagreement between PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani continued to widen threatening to shadow the Vanniyar dominated party’s prospects at the hustings.
    Party’s senior leaders opine that a divided house would be a setback in facing the Assembly elections next year.
    Underscoring the importance of remaining together, a senior leader who is a supporter of Dr S Ramadoss says both the leaders should sink their differences and keep the party united.
    Another senior functionary in the party, G K Mani, who unsuccessfully attempted a rapprochement between the father and son, insisted that the PMK members wanted the discord to end soon. "It pains me immensely to see a rift in the PMK," the legislator said.
    A difference of opinion first arose between Ramadoss and Anbumani in December 2024 over the appointment of Mukundan Parasuraman (grandson of Ramadoss) as state president of the party's youth wing at the general council meeting at Pattanur in Villupuram district.
    When Ramadoss named Mukundan (son of Srikanthi, daughter of Ramadoss) for the post, Anbumani opposed saying someone more experienced should be appointed. Ramadoss angrily retorted "this is the party I started. You should listen to what I say. Those who are not interested can leave." He went ahead and announced Mukundan's name.
    On April 10, the eve of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai for announcing the revival of BJP’s poll ties with the AIADMK, Ramadoss announced taking up the complete reins of the party and relegated his president son Anbumani as working president. The rejig in the party has to be made taking into consideration the 2026 Assembly election, he had said.
    "I have formulated an action plan taking into account the 2026 Assembly election. In order to execute them, I consider it necessary to restructure the PMK," he then said.
    The discord between the two continued and on July 8, Anbumani chaired the party's governing body meeting in Chennai, while his father convened the PMK’s executive committee meeting in Tindivanam.
    Mani, Dheeran, and A K Moorthy, known loyalists of Dr Ramadoss shared the dias with him. They wanted their leader to exercise complete control of the party and even decide on the alliance for the 2026 Assembly election. At the event, Ramadoss claimed that a majority of the party cadres were with him.
    Like legislator Mani, another MLA R Arul is backing Ramadoss.
    The relations between the father and son turned unsavoury after Anbumani struck a defiant stance, aiming to take control of the party by holding meetings with cadres and even announcing agitation to demand internal reservation for the Vanniyar community. The senior Ramadoss declined to participate in the agitation this month.
    On Saturday Ramadoss alleged that his social media accounts have been taken over by the supporters of Anbumani and sought help from the police to have them retrieved.
    The compromising of his social media accounts has been his latest accusation since the souring of ties with his son Dr Anbumani over the leadership of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, which he founded.
    Recently, Ramadoss alleged that a sophisticated bugging device reportedly purchased from London was found near his chair at his Thailapuram residence in Villupuram district. The device was recovered a couple of days ago and an investigation is on to ascertain who planted it.
    Prior to this, he had said that his son, a former central minister, should not use his surname.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)