Chennai, Oct 17 (PTI) AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday hoisted the party flag and paid floral tributes to party icons M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, marking the party’s entry into its 55th year of political service, even as the dissident MLAs boycotted the milestone event at party headquarters here.
The high-spirited celebrations at the Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Maaligai in Royapettah, the party’s state headquarters here, saw the participation of hundreds of cadres and several senior leaders, including K P Munusamy, C Ponnaiyan, M Thambidurai, B Valarmathi, joining Palaniswami in paying floral tributes to the statues of late Chief Minister and founder M G Ramachandran and late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, to commemorate the Dravidian major’s entry into its 55th year.
Scores of leaders and cadres had gathered at the AIADMK headquarters early in the morning to celebrate the party’s Foundation Day, and accorded a warm reception to Palaniswami upon his arrival. The AIADMK chief distributed sweets to the party members after unfurling the party flag.
However, a heavy political shadow hung over the high-spirited event, as the disgruntled leaders like S P Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam, P Thangamani, and Natham Viswanathan, and their loyalists completely skipped the headquarters celebrations under Palaniswami.
These senior leaders were among the rebel legislators who voted in favour of the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government during the floor test on May 13. They have been demanding a structural rehaul of the party following its electoral defeat in the April 2026 Assembly elections.
Later, speaking at the celebrations, Palaniswami said none can shake the AIADMK and regardless of the numerous challenges it faced, the party would rise like the proverbial phoenix and capture power in the state.
In Villupuram, C Ve Shanmugam urged the leadership to hold talks to ascertain reasons for defeat in the elections and work out a strategy to return to power.
“My only wish is that the AIADMK should regain strength to form Amma’s rule again. I will fully cooperate with such initiatives and I have no personal agenda. It is enough if the AIADMK is united and emerges as a strong political force,” Shanmugam told reporters.
“The ‘Two leaves’ should rule the state,” he stressed.
Despite facing the party’s disciplinary action, with Palaniswami removing them from key organisational roles in the AIADMK, Velumani and Shanmugam had been demanding that the leadership convene a meeting to discuss the reasons for the poll debacle.
In an attempt to rein in the rebels, the AIADMK chief stripped key posts of Velusamy-Shanmugam loyalists in the party.
Indicating that the core cadres were still with the AIADMK and many leaders too stood with the former Chief Minister, the party IT Wing put out posts hailing Palaniswami as a “phenomenon”, who is carrying forward the AIADMK legacy in its 55th year of existence.
“This is not a group of losers who get upset after seeing defeat. This is a team of warriors who stand firm and win head-on, no matter how many odds are flung at them! Our party, full of valiant political workers, following the path of the revolutionary leaders MGR and Amma, cannot be shaken by any force!” the party’s IT Wing said.
Founded in 1972 by the legendary actor and iconic leader MGR, the AIADMK completed 54 years of existence – a political journey defined by immense welfare legacies and major governance milestones. Its successive defeats in 2021 Assembly election at the hands of the DMK whose president M K Stalin became Chief Minister then, and the rout in 2026 Assembly election forfeiting its principal opposition status to the DMK and the sudden and spectacular elevation of TVK founder C Joseph Vijay as Chief Minister, led to setbacks in the AIADMK.
The mass exodus of its leaders and cadres to the ruling TVK, the AIADMK faced humiliation in the October 9 by-election in Madurantakam and Dharapuram SC reserved Assembly constituencies as its former legislators Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama romped home the winners after contesting on TVK’s Whistle symbol.
The party crisis deepened further with Velumani while speaking on the internal rift in the party demanded the re-induction of expelled leaders, explicitly calling for the return of former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, V K Sasikala, and AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran to revitalise the party after its recent string of electoral defeats.
He noted that a course correction is necessary to restore the party’s strength. Party senior and Palaniswami’s supporter Agri Krishnamurthy rejected the demand, saying Panneerselvam had contested and won on rival DMK’s Rising Sun symbol.
As AIADMK entered into 55th year, Palaniswami urged party workers to strive unitedly with determination and overcome the new political challenges manifest before the party. The former Chief Minister stressed the need for unity and resolve among the party cadres, calling for concerted efforts to defeat the “anti-democratic forces”, and “anti-people regime” through democratic means. PTI JSP JSP ROH
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