Chennai: Actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s new Tamil Nadu government received a major boost on Tuesday after veteran AIADMK leader C.V. Shanmugham announced his faction’s support for the TVK-led administration.
This comes amid escalating factional tensions in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, fueled by disagreements on Vijay’s administration — especially between Shanmugham and ex-Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Shanmugham told journalists that most AIADMK MLAs, representing the party’s 47 seats from the latest Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, back TVK support. He pointed to strong resistance from the rank-and-file and lawmakers against partnering with the DMK.
Faction Rejects DMK Ties
“We started this party against the DMK. For 53 years, we did politics against the DMK. In such a situation, the proposal that an AIADMK government would be formed with the support of the DMK was one that the majority of members did not accept and instead opposed. If we join an alliance with the DMK, then the AIADMK will be vanished. They didn’t accept it. We took the decision to support the TVK, which got the victory,” Shanmugham said.
He highlighted major internal changes from the lawmakers’ session, designating ex-minister S.P. Velumani as AIADMK Legislature Leader and C. Vijayabaskar as the party’s whip.
Future Solo Run Planned
Shanmugham asserted that a clear majority of the party’s MLAs had ratified key resolutions during a closed-door legislators’ meeting. He also said the MLAs firmly resolved that AIADMK would contest all future elections independently, steering clear of any alliances to preserve its distinct identity.
He announced key party posts in the Assembly: S.P. Velumani, ex-minister, as leader; C. Vijayabaskar as whip.
The faction had promptly submitted the formal leadership notifications and supporting documents to the Pro-tem Speaker, signaling their readiness to operate as a unified opposition bloc.
The latest developments reveal growing fractures in AIADMK post-Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
With 47 seats under its belt, the party watched TVK seize power under Vijay’s leadership.
