Is another open revolt in the making inside the AIADMK against party chief Edappadi Palaniswami? A joint public statement released by senior leaders SP Velumani and Natham Vishwanathan suggests that there could a deepening crisis within the Dravidian party.
Velumani and Viswanathan have released a scathing public statement targeting EPS’ leadership, blaming him for consecutive election defeats. In their statement, they said that the 2021, 2024 and 2026 election losses were because of EPS’ unilaterally wrong decisions.
They alleged that Palaniswami prefers to have “yes-men” inside the party and that he wishes that all within the party only listen to him. They claimed that over 400 functionaries have been removed from their party posts as rebellion continues to brew against the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
The senior AIADMK leaders, in a sensational statement, also called for the re-induction of expelled leaders VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran. They urged Palaniswami to reach out to the former leaders of the party who have joined other outfits and convince them to return to the AIADMK.
The pair also called for a strengthening of the party ahead of the upcoming local body elections, in an attempt to put an end to the string of defeats that they have faced.
This statement marks yet another significant escalation in the AIADMK turmoil timeline, with Velumani- a leader who had earlier severed ties with EPS, rebelled against the party, pledged support to the ruling TVK, and then made a major U-turn to stay with the party- now once again openly going to war against the party’s General Secretary.
Following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, when TVK’s C. Joseph Vijay staked claim to form the government, Velumani led a faction of AIADMK MLAs who broke ranks and backed Vijay’s government during the crucial trust vote, defying the official party line. EPS retaliated by stripping Velumani and fellow rebel C. Ve Shanmugam of their party posts, triggering an open revolt that saw around 25 MLAs shift camps and threats of disqualification under anti-defection law.
The standoff appeared to end in late May, when Velumani made a U-turn — meeting EPS, formally withdrawing his petitions against the party, and backing him as floor leader in the Assembly.