AIADMK split deepens as EPS faces rebellion after trust vote

For nearly five decades, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was one of Tamil Nadu’s most powerful political forces.

From MG Ramachandran to J Jayalalithaa, the party survived rebellions, defeats and internal crises.

But after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the AIADMK is now facing one of its biggest challenges yet — a battle from within. The crisis exploded after 25 AIADMK MLAs reportedly voted in support of Vijay’s TVK government during the trust vote, while 22 MLAs loyal to party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) voted against it.

The outcome was that EPS stripped senior leaders, including C Ve Shanmugam and SP Velumani, who had defied the party whip and cross-voted for Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's government, of their party posts. An open political war has been declared inside the party.

EPS loyalists met with Speaker Prabhakar demanding the disqualification of the 25 rebel legislators, while the CVe Shanmugam-led rebel group is said to be busy getting letters from members of the party general council (GC) urging general secretary EPS to convene the GC meeting soon.

Trust vote

Political observers noted that the election outcome completely altered Tamil Nadu’s political equations.

“Pollsters predicted that TVK would take around 20 per cent vote share and convert that into 20 to 30 seats. They thought TVK would become a kingmaker. But it became the other way around,” a political analyst said, adding that the ultimate result was that the AIADMK slipped to the third spot for the first time.

Also read: Trust vote won, but AIADMK's fracture is the real story

The split has also revived memories of past leadership battles inside the party after Jayalalithaa’s death. “Those events are repeating now. There could be chaos and confusion again during the General Council meeting,” an observer said.

Senior AIADMK leaders including SP Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam, C Vijayabaskar and Natham R Viswanathan are reportedly pushing for continued support to Vijay’s government.

Leadership war

EPS, however, has drawn a hard line. In a strongly worded message to party cadres, he accused some leaders of placing personal ambition above the party.

The feud has now spilled into television debates, district-level clashes and leadership purges. The battle is now shifting to the AIADMK General Council, the party’s highest decision-making body. Under party by-laws, enough members can demand a special General Council meeting and even challenge the leadership.

“That is exactly what the Velumani-Shanmugam camp is preparing for,” sources said. At the same time, efforts are reportedly underway to bring back V K Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran to consolidate anti-EPS forces.

Under AIADMK party by-laws, the General Secretary or higher organisational heads are required to convene a special General Council meeting within 30 days if at least one-fifth of the members submit a request.

Deeper crisis

Political analysts believe the 2026 election exposed deeper structural weaknesses inside AIADMK.

“This non-consulting of the second-level leadership in forging alliances and the continuous electoral failures are the reasons behind the split,” a political observer said. “Tamil Nadu politics has always been bipolar. Now that bipolar structure is returning again, but this time between DMK and TVK.”

Observers also pointed to EPS’s lack of charisma compared to past AIADMK leaders. “Charisma is about public connection. That was missing in the case of Edappadi Palaniswami. That is why we are seeing a splinter group emerging,” an analyst said.

Despite remaining the principal opposition party for years, AIADMK failed to project itself as a strong alternative either to the ruling alliance or to the rising TVK wave, critics argued. They said EPS failed to energise cadres, attract younger voters and provide a clear political direction to the party.

Survival battle

As TVK gains momentum across Tamil Nadu, several AIADMK leaders now appear to believe that aligning with Vijay could be their best political survival strategy. “It is a matter of survival for the party. The rebel group believes aligning with TVK is the only way to keep the party afloat,” an observer said, adding that Edappadi and his supporters believe an anti-TVK political course will keep them alive.

The legal battle is also intensifying. Even as EPS supporters have approached the Assembly Speaker seeking action against the 25 rebel MLAs under the anti-defection law, the rival camp, however, argues that elected MLAs — not the party leadership — should decide legislative strategy.

Also read: AIADMK tussle: Rebel group wants party chief Palaniswami to be disqualified as MLA

The Speaker’s decision could determine whether the MLAs face disqualification or whether the crisis moves to the courts. Sources also suggest that the TVK leadership may prefer to let the conflict continue, allowing divisions inside AIADMK to deepen further.

Uncertain future

Observers said the party has faced repeated splits ever since Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016. “In just 10 years, the party has seen five or six splinter groups,” a political commentator said.

The analyst also compared the current crisis with past rebellions inside AIADMK.

"The rebellion against Jayalalithaa was different because she was a towering figure who personified the party. But now, this is a battle among equals. None of them is a giant figure.”

From midnight court battles and dramatic General Council confrontations to flying water bottles during earlier power struggles, AIADMK now appears headed for another intense internal showdown. For a party once dominated by MGR and Jayalalithaa, the question today is no longer whether it can return to power. The real question is whether AIADMK can even remain united as Vijay’s rise reshapes Tamil Nadu politics.

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