Chennai: The opposition AIADMK resolved its internal crisis Wednesday, as rebel MLAs who had backed the Vijay-led TVK government reconciled and returned to the official camp led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS).
General Secretary EPS was also confirmed as the AIADMK’s floor leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly following the reunification.
Rebel leader S.P. Velumani met Palaniswami (EPS) and formally withdrew petitions filed with the assembly speaker. Senior AIADMK leader C.Ve Shanmugam, who was another prominent face of the rebel faction, also backed the reconciliation, Velumani told reporters after the meeting.
The crisis had begun earlier this month when a faction of 25 AIADMK MLAs, led by Velumani and Shanmugam, revolted against EPS’s leadership, alleging that he had explored support from the rival DMK following the party’s electoral defeat in Tamil Nadu elections.
The rebels elected Velumani as a rival floor leader, submitted a letter to Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, asserting a parallel claim, and extended support to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government during a floor test.
The rebel faction’s withdrawal of support would not affect the coalition government. TVK had crossed the majority mark in the 234-seat assembly with support from the Congress, VCK, IUML and the Left parties.
But the faction’s backing of the coalition government had triggered speculation of a post-poll alliance or potential merger. Plans to formally join the TVK-led government did not materialise.
The rebel bloc’s unity had begun weakening before Wednesday’s reconciliation. Four MLAs – K. Maragatham Kumaravel, P. Sathyabama, S. Jayakumar, and Essaki Subaiah—resigned from the assembly last week and joined the TVK.
Six others — P. Haribaskar, S.M. Sugumar, D. Jaishankar, N.S.N. Natarajan, K. Mohan, and P. Balakrishna Reddy — returned to the EPS camp. These shifts had reduced the faction to nearly 15 MLAs, eroding its leverage and sharpening the threat of disqualification under anti-defection laws.
The anti-defection law can be invoked if the rebel faction’s strength is lower than two-thirds of a party’s legislators. AIADMK has a total of 42 MLAs in the state assembly formed this month.
Following the Wednesday morning meeting with EPS, Velumani accompanied his supporting MLAs to the state Secretariat, where they met Speaker Prabhakar and withdrew the letter seeking the appointment of a rival legislature party leader and chief whip. The EPS faction’s counter-petition seeking anti-defection action against the rebels was simultaneously withdrawn.
Addressing the media in Chennai, Velumani said: “There was no split in the party and that they have now decided to work together for the future of the party together. Now, both sides have withdrawn the petitions they had filed seeking disqualification.”
He added, “There are only differences of opinion among us. Edappadi K. Palaniswami is still our party’s general secretary. After the defeat, we had put forward certain views. We expressed our opinion with the belief that the AIADMK should continue to exist even a hundred years from now.”
Noting that victory and defeat were natural in politics, Velumani said the faction had also pushed for a general council meeting of the party
He said the MLAs also suggested forming a committee.
“The General Secretary (Palaniswami) has said that he would consider all these matters and implement them one after another… Some people are criticising us, saying that we went for gaining positions, but we did not go for any posts. We are all united. There are no conflicting views. Everyone in the party remains united,” Velumani said.
Speaker Prabhakar, asked about the petitions, told reporters: “AIADMK MLAs gave me their petitions, I will read and announce my decision on Thursday.”
The reunion comes with key rebel demands unmet. EPS declined to immediately restore party posts—including district secretaryships stripped after the MLAs backed TVK during the floor test—while calling for unity and urging the withdrawal of any representations the rebels had made to the Election Commission of India.
The AIADMK’s IT wing, in a message on X, invoked the legacy of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, declaring, “Even after centuries, the AIADMK will continue to function for the people”. It called on cadres to stand united behind the goal of returning the party’s Two Leaves symbol to Fort St George, where the state assembly and secretariat works out of.
The party now turns to internal consolidation and a review of its recent electoral performance. Bypolls are expected following the four MLA resignations.
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