A major political upheaval has erupted in Tamil Nadu as a massive split within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has officially surfaced. A faction led by former minister and senior leader C. V. Shanmugam announced its support for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay, triggering intense political debate across the state.
Shanmugam stated that his faction decided to break away from the camp led by former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami after differences emerged over alleged attempts to move closer to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He claimed that 30 MLAs from his group had unanimously agreed to extend support to Vijay’s government in the interest of political stability.
The development is being viewed as one of the biggest crises within AIADMK in recent years. In the latest Assembly elections, AIADMK secured 47 seats, while Vijay-led TVK fell short of a full majority. Vijay eventually formed the government with the backing of several opposition parties and independent legislators.
During the government formation phase, around 36 AIADMK MLAs under Shanmugam’s leadership had reportedly formed a separate camp to support Vijay. However, the support extended by parties within the DMK-led bloc made the Shanmugam faction’s numbers unnecessary for government formation. Despite several rounds of talks later initiated by Palaniswami, reconciliation efforts reportedly failed, leaving the faction divided.
The internal conflict became fully visible on the first day of the Tamil Nadu Assembly session on Monday. The Shanmugam camp demanded that Palaniswami resign both from the party leadership and from the position of legislature party leader. Only 17 MLAs stood firmly behind Palaniswami and submitted a letter to the Assembly Secretary seeking recognition of his leadership.
Meanwhile, the rebel faction of 30 MLAs submitted a separate representation seeking recognition of S. P. Velumani as the legislature party leader of AIADMK. Political circles are now closely watching the Speaker’s decision on which faction will receive official recognition inside the Assembly, as the outcome could significantly alter the opposition dynamics in Tamil Nadu.
The crisis has also reopened discussions about the future of AIADMK following the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Senior leaders including V. K. Sasikala and O. Panneerselvam had already distanced themselves from the party in recent years. Amid the fresh turmoil, senior leader K. C. Palanisamy indicated that more leaders could form separate groups in the coming days, while ally Bharatiya Janata Party has so far maintained silence over the political developments.