Mhe All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam appears to be headed towards a possible split on Monday amid growing dissent against party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
A section of MLAs and senior leaders is reportedly exploring support for the newly elected Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government.
Party sources indicated that tensions had been building over the past week, with senior leaders including C. V. Shanmugam holding frequent discussions with leaders such as S. P. Velumani and C. Vijayabaskar. The group was reportedly inclined towards extending support to the TVK government, a move said to have been resisted by Palaniswami.
Speculation intensifies after leaders arrive separately
Speculation intensified on Monday morning after five senior leaders arrived separately from Palaniswamy at the Secretariat for the oath-taking ceremony, further fuelling talk of a split within the party.
At the same time, a group of 17 MLAs loyal to Palaniswamy met pro-tem Speaker M. V. Karuppiah and submitted their support to Palaniswami as leader of the AIADMK legislature party.
Sources claimed that the remaining 30 MLAs could align with a breakaway faction led by Velumani and may extend support to the TVK government during a possible no-confidence motion, potentially formalising a split in the opposition party.
AIADMK emerged third largest party
The AIADMK had secured 47 seats in the recent Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, emerging as the third-largest party behind TVK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Published on May 11, 2026