AIADMK Feud Deepens as Ex-Ministers Blame EPS for Poll Defeats

Chennai: The rift in the AIADMK widened on Sunday, with senior leaders and former AIADMK Ministers Natham R Viswanathan and SP Velumani holding general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami responsible for the party’s defeats in the 2021 and 2026 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In a joint representation to Palaniswami, the two leaders urged him to restore more than 400 functionaries who were removed from party posts after the 2026 Assembly election. They also called for greater accommodation of dissent and cited the “forget and forgive” approach adopted by former leaders MGR and Jayalalithaa.

The statement came a day after Viswanathan and Velumani were assigned to lead the AIADMK’s August 14 protests against the TVK government in Ramanathapuram and Theni districts respectively. Both leaders have declined the newly created posts of deputy general secretary and continued to sign their statements as MLAs.

They reiterated their demand that VK Sasikala and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran be brought back into the AIADMK fold, arguing that a broader organisation was essential to revive the party and prepare for the 2031 Assembly election.

The leaders accused Palaniswami of missing alliance opportunities in the 2021, 2024 and 2026 elections. They alleged that his unilateral decisions prevented tie-ups with several parties, including Dhinakaran’s camp, the DMDK, Puthiya Tamilagam, PMK and the BJP.

They also alleged that 25 of the AIADMK’s 47 MLAs were pushed into an anti-DMK position after the 2026 election following the leadership’s decision to explore an alliance with the DMK.

The duo said cadres and senior functionaries were increasingly unhappy over the alleged sidelining of party veterans and lack of consultations on electoral strategy and the future course of the organisation.