NEW DELHI: The AIADMK, once the unquestioned pole of Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu, is showing visible signs of strain after its disappointing performance in the 2026 assembly elections. Just days after the party was reduced to 47 seats in the 234-member assembly, internal divisions have burst into the open, exposing disagreements over leadership, strategy and even whether the party should support the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by chief minister C Joseph Vijay.The first day of the new assembly itself reflected the emerging cracks. In a striking departure from long-established AIADMK convention, the party’s newly elected MLAs arrived at the assembly in two separate groups for the oath-taking ceremony on Monday.One faction, comprising former ministers KP Munusamy and Thalavai N Sundaram among others, accompanied AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). Another camp led by former minister SP Velumani arrived separately, accompanied by former minister Dr C Vijayabaskar, news agency PTI reported. Senior leader C Ve Shanmugam, who has increasingly emerged as a focal point of dissent within the party, did not arrive with the EPS camp either.Ordinarily, AIADMK legislators enter the assembly together as a show of unity and organisational discipline — a tradition cultivated during the eras of MG Ramachandran and later J Jayalalithaa. The recent scenes, therefore, were interpreted by many in Tamil Nadu’s political circles as more than symbolic that indicated that AIADMK was struggling to maintain internal cohesion after a bruising electoral setback.The AIADMK contested 167 seats in the April 23 election but managed to win only 47, slipping further from the dominant position it once occupied in state politics. AIADMK’s vote share also slipped from 33.5% in 2021 to 21.21 in 2026 elections.The result not only denied the party power but also cost it the status of principal opposition in the assembly — a humiliation many within the organisation blame on the leadership of EPS.In the days following the election, multiple closed-door meetings were held within the party. According to AIADMK sources, those meetings quickly revealed deep disagreements over the future course of the party.One section strongly opposed any move to support Vijay’s TVK government, arguing that backing a rival regional force would weaken the AIADMK’s independent identity further. Another faction, however, favoured extending outside support to the TVK, believing that cooperation with Vijay could help the party retain political relevance and prevent further erosion of its support base.The divide has also sharpened calls for a leadership change.A few MLAs reportedly demanded that EPS step down as party chief, arguing that the AIADMK has suffered repeated electoral setbacks under his stewardship since the death of Jayalalithaa. Several senior leaders, including Velumani and Shanmugam, skipped meetings convened by EPS after the results, fuelling speculation that an organised rebellion is underway.Former AIADMK leader KC Palanisamy openly claimed there was a “clear split” in the party and urged EPS to “voluntarily step down” in order to reunite the organisation before the next election cycle.The discontent appears to stem not merely from the latest defeat, but from a larger existential anxiety within the AIADMK. Since Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, the party has struggled to project a singular commanding figure capable of holding together its powerful regional satraps and caste-based support blocs. EPS emerged as the dominant leader after a prolonged internal battle involving O Panneerselvam and the Sasikala faction, but critics within the party say he has failed to revive the AIADMK electorally.The rise of Vijay’s TVK has only intensified that crisis. For decades, Tamil Nadu politics revolved around the DMK-AIADMK binary. The emergence of TVK as the ruling party has disrupted that framework, leaving AIADMK leaders divided over whether confrontation or accommodation offers a better path to survival.According to party insiders, Shanmugam and Velumani had floated the idea of supporting TVK immediately after the election verdict. EPS reportedly rejected the proposal initially, creating resentment among senior leaders who believed the AIADMK needed to adapt to the altered political landscape quickly.Sources said sections of the rebel camp even explored communication channels with TVK leaders. One AIADMK leader claimed that Shanmugam reached out to TVK general secretary N Anand to convey willingness among some MLAs to back Vijay’s government.However, TVK’s response reportedly complicated matters further. According to AIADMK sources, Vijay was unwilling to accept mere outside support from AIADMK legislators while they retained their party identity. Instead, he was said to have insisted that any MLA wanting to support TVK should resign and seek re-election under the TVK’s ‘whistle’ symbol.That proposal appears to have alarmed many AIADMK legislators. While some are reportedly open to tactical cooperation with TVK, few are willing to resign and risk by-elections, fearing backlash from their constituencies and uncertainty over their political future.Even as rumours of rebellion gathered momentum, AIADMK leaders publicly attempted damage control.Party MLA Esakki Subaya dismissed reports of a crisis and insisted the AIADMK remained united and intact. “Everything is going well within the party. No one can break the party,” he told reporters outside the assembly.He denied claims of widespread dissatisfaction and termed reports of a split as “false news,” while also brushing aside questions regarding a possible leadership change.Yet, political observers note that such public assertions are common in Tamil Nadu politics during moments of internal churn. The more telling developments, they argue, lie in the visible separation of leaders, parallel meetings and coordinated absenteeism from EPS-led events.Political analyst Sathyalaya Ramakrishnan told news agency PTI that the situation remained fluid and could still be resolved if senior leaders prioritised unity. “I feel till now the party is united since all the AIADMK MLAs were sitting together in the assembly. The senior leaders of the AIADMK must ensure that there is no split in the party,” he said.Still, the challenge before AIADMK is formidable. Beyond immediate leadership questions, the party faces a deeper ideological and structural dilemma: how to redefine itself in a post-Jayalalithaa era where a new political force has captured public imagination.For EPS, the coming weeks may prove decisive. If he manages to retain the loyalty of most MLAs, he could survive this latest bout of dissent. But if more legislators drift towards the Velumani-Shanmugam camp, the AIADMK could witness yet another internal rupture since Jayalalithaa’s death. Go to Source
