Opposition in Disarray: AIADMK Split, DMK Denies Talks, TVK Gains Ground

Tamil Nadu’s political scene witnessed major upheaval on Tuesday as the opposition AIADMK appeared headed for a split , with a faction of MLAs led by S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam announcing support for the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ahead of a floor test .

Around 30 AIADMK MLAs , according to sources in the dissident camp, backed the rebel group that has questioned party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami ’s leadership following the party’s poor electoral performance, where it won 47 seats in the Assembly polls.

Shanmugam said the faction would meet Chief Minister Vijay and submit a letter of support. He alleged Palaniswami had attempted to form a government with DMK support, calling it contrary to AIADMK’s core principle of opposing the Dravidian rival. The rebel group also demanded an immediate general council meeting and hinted at leadership change within the party.

The internal divide was visible in the Assembly, with AIADMK MLAs arriving in two groups aligned with Palaniswami and the Velumani-Shanmugam faction.

However, the AIADMK leadership rejected the allegations, terming them “rumours” and accusing the dissidents of spreading misinformation after electoral setbacks. The party said alliance decisions cannot be taken by a small group of MLAs and insisted that cadre support remains with Palaniswami. In a social media post, the party reiterated its mandate was for Palaniswami and the “Two Leaves” symbol.

Meanwhile, the DMK dismissed claims of any post-poll alliance talks with AIADMK. DMK organising secretary R S Bharati said the allegations were baseless and accused Shanmugam of attempting to create a split within his own party, reiterating that DMK would function as the opposition.

Adding a new dimension, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan claimed he was approached by both DMK and AIADMK to lead a possible alliance government as Chief Minister to keep TVK out of power, a proposal he said was rejected after consultations within his party. He also said VCK’s support to TVK was taken after internal discussions.

The developments underline deepening instability in Tamil Nadu politics amid shifting alliances and internal party tensions ahead of the crucial floor test.