AIADMK fight gets uglier: EPS and rebel leaders trade charges

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and rebel leader C Ve Shanmugam traded charges of ‘anti-party activities'.

While EPS accused Shanmugam and S P Velumani of supporting TVK's confidence motion in exchange for ministerial berths, the rebel leaders shot back saying EPS had attempted to become CM with the support of DMK. Hours after a section of AIADMK MLAs voted in favour of TVK govt during the confidence motion, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami removed Velumani and Shanmugam, from party posts.



A total of 29 AIADMK functionaries, including 13 sitting MLAs, were removed from various organisational posts, including district secretary positions. Apart from the duo leading the rebel, senior leaders R Kamaraj, C Vijayabhaskar, Thangamani, K P Anbazhagan, K C Veeramani and M R Vijayabhaskar were among those relieved from party responsibilities after voting in support of chief minister Vijay's govt.

In response, Shanmugham accused AIADMK leadership of arrogance and isolation, saying, "the party had now gone into the grip of one family," adding that their removal from party was invalid as they were not given a show cause notice for their action.

Earlier in the day EPS said AIADMK had officially decided to oppose the confidence motion and that former minister Agri S S Krishnamoorthy had been appointed whip to communicate the direction to all MLAs through registered post, email and SMS. He called the rebel camp's move "completely wrong and against the law". Escalating the attack, he alleged that "around six ministerial berths and 10 board chairman posts were promised to AIADMK MLAs to secure support for TVK govt."

EPS maintained that AIADMK winning 47 seats in the 2026 assembly election was a huge victory under the circumstances and accused rebel MLAs of betrayal. In his rebuttal, Shanmugham said winning 47 seats was not a victory as projected by EPS, but a crushing defeat. EPS failed to acknowledge setbacks in 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026 too, he said.

On the claim of EPS that he submitted letter with signatures from 47 MLAs supporting him, Shanmugam said those signatures were received stating that he was going to become CM with support of DMK and not for electing him as legislature party leader. He said the proposal violated AIADMK's founding principle that the DMK was an "evil force" to be opposed. Shanmugham further alleged that when discussions emerged around making VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan a consensus chief ministerial candidate with DMK support, EPS rejected that too.

AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy said remarks by Shanmugam were contradictory. "Shanmugam says he was against the purported alliance with DMK. How come he was also among 47 MLAs who signed in support of it,'' Munusamy asked in a statement.