AIADMK faction extends support to Vijay’s TVK; leader explains why DMK alliance talks collapsed

NEW DELHI: After a drubbing in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, AIADMK on Tuesday announced that it will extend support to Vijay’s TVK in forming the government ahead of the crucial floor test.Speaking to reporters, AIADMK leader C V Shanmugam said the party currently stands without any alliance, signalling severed ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party after the assembly polls.He also said that party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami wanted to have alliance with DMK to form government.“We founded this party against the DMK. For 53 years, our politics have been against the DMK. Given this history, a proposal suggesting that an AIADMK government be formed with the support of the DMK was put forward. However, the majority of our members rejected and opposed it,” Shanmugam said.“If we were to form an alliance with the DMK, the AIADMK would cease to exist. They refused to accept such a scenario. We currently stand without any alliance, and our focus must now be on revitalising and strengthening our own party. We ultimately decided to extend our support to the TVK, which emerged victorious,” he added.This comes after cracks within the AIADMK came out in the open after some party MLAs, led by senior leader C V Shanmugam, submitted a letter to pro tem Speaker M V Karuppaiah seeking the appointment of former minister S P Velumani as the AIADMK legislature party leader. Earlier, a few MLAs had reportedly demanded that Edappadi K Palaniswami step down following the party’s poor electoral performance.AIADMK contested 167 out of 234 constituencies and managed to secure only 47 seats.In the wake of the poll results, a series of MLA meetings chaired by Palaniswami were held. Several senior AIADMK leaders and former ministers, including Shanmugam and Velumani, along with MLAs backing them, stayed away from the meetings convened by Palaniswami.“There is a clear split within the party. Many MLAs want a change in leadership. If Palaniswami continues as leader, there is a possibility of some MLAs extending support to the TVK,” ANI quoted former AIADMK leader K C Palanisamy as saying.Signs of discord within the party were visible earlier in the day during the oath-taking ceremony of MLAs in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, where party legislators were seen seated in separate groups inside the House.