Tamil Nadu politics has taken a dramatic turn after a major split surfaced inside All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam following the Assembly election results.
A rebel faction led by senior leader C. V. Shanmugam has announced support for Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
The rebel camp openly declared that it is walking out of the BJP-led NDA alliance and no longer accepts the leadership of Edappadi K. Palaniswami. The faction also claimed that it represents the “real AIADMK.”
Shanmugam accused the current leadership of pushing the party towards political decline after repeated electoral setbacks. According to the rebel group, around 24 AIADMK MLAs have now formed a separate bloc and are preparing to formally extend support to Vijay.
The faction is also expected to inform the Assembly Speaker about its stand, making the upcoming floor test even more crucial.
According to the rebels, the turning point came after discussions allegedly emerged around the possibility of indirect support involving DMK. Shanmugam argued that AIADMK was founded to oppose DMK politics and aligning with it would damage the party’s identity.
This internal rebellion has significantly changed the political arithmetic in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, TVK had secured 108 seats, falling short of the 118-seat majority mark. With Congress already extending support and rebel AIADMK MLAs now moving closer to Vijay, the numbers appear to be shifting rapidly in his favour.
The rebellion has also increased pressure on Palaniswami, with the dissident faction demanding that he step down as party chief and General Secretary.
Political attention is now focused on the next few developments, including Vijay’s meeting with rebel MLAs, the Speaker’s response and the expected floor test in the Assembly.
What initially looked like a difficult numbers battle for Vijay is now turning into a serious power shift in Tamil Nadu politics.
The election result changed the government equation. The AIADMK split may now change the entire opposition landscape as well.
