AIADMK leaders’ breakaway meet fuels talk of rift

THe All republic of india Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) may be header for a split up, with nearly 36 of its legislators expressing stake in supporting Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), company members aware of the matter said, asking not to be named.On Saturday, the TVK managed to cobble together enough numbers to claim majority but with 120 names purportedly in its favour, the party is precariously close to the 118-mark for majority it needs to survive a floor test.The prospect of a breakaway in AIADMK – a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent that on its own has 47 seats --- sharpened on Saturday when a section of AIADMK legislators who had been staying at a private resort in Puducherry since May 5 returned to Chennai and, after attending a more-than-three-hour meeting with party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, proceeded to the residence of C V Shanmugham for separate discussions that lasted several hours.Former ministers OS Manian, SP Velumani, C Vijayabhaskar, and RB Udhayakumar were among the prominent leaders seen entering Shanmugham’s residence. None spoke to the media.When reporters asked Udhayakumar directly whether the AIADMK was splitting, he was cryptic. “Why are you in a hurry? Please be patient. You will receive good news,” he said.Palaniswami had instructed the legislators at the resort — approximately 40 in all — to return to Chennai from Puducherry, a party legislator said. He had visited the resort for a closed-door meeting on May 7, after which he did not speak to the media. AIADMK party members aware of the matter said he was not keen on a TVK alliance.Leema Rose, the newly elected legislator from the Lalgudi assembly constituency, told reporters before leaving Puducherry: “We have been told to come to Chennai today by our leader. We are going to the residence of our leader (Palaniswami) in Chennai. Please wait. You will [hear] good news from our leader.”AIADMK’s Puducherry unit secretary A Anbalagan and former minister K P Munusamy were also seen attending the Shanmugham meeting; neither spoke to the media.In the April 23 assembly polls, the AIADMK-led NDA alliance won 53 seats, of which the AIADMK bagged 47. Palaniswami won his home constituency of Edappadi in Salem district by a margin of more than 95,000 votes. Despite the showing, the party has been on a losing streak since 2021 and performed poorly in the 2024 parliamentary elections.Later on Saturday, Palaniswami posted on social media without naming TVK: “Candidates on behalf of various parties have contested and won in the recently concluded 17th Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly election. I express my heartfelt best wishes to the party that will be forming the government in Tamil Nadu.”