The C Ve Shanmugham-led faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has extended its support to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, ending days of speculation about a possible rift within the party.
Shanmugham, a senior legislator, spoke to reporters on Tuesday, stating that he will be calling on state chief minister C Joseph Vijay to extend his support to the TVK later in the day.
The decision was taken to rejuvenate the party, which had lost consecutively in the 2021 Assembly polls, 2024 Parliamentary polls, and 2026 Assembly polls.
Shanmugham claimed that the majority of supporters in his camp decided to support TVK, but did not specify how many MLAs were with him. It is learnt that about 25-27 MLAs are keen to support the TVK, while around 22-24 are with the Palaniswami faction.
Shanmugham stated that the AIADMK is not in any kind of alliance anymore, and that the party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami wanted to form a government with the support of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
However, Shanmugham and his faction opposed this proposal, citing that it goes against the AIADMK's founding principles of uprooting the DMK.
The faction also elected S P Velumani as the legislature party floor leader and passed a resolution to accept the people's mandate, which is specifically for Vijay to become the chief minister.
