Chennai, May 18: The internal crisis within the AIADMK has intensified. The escalating conflict among party factions has spread to district units across Tamil Nadu, leading to heightened tensions that necessitated police intervention in several areas.
Supporters of Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and the opposing faction led by former ministers S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam are increasingly embroiled in a struggle for control of the party. This has resulted in the locking of multiple party offices, which are now under security watch.
Following similar incidents in Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, and Karur, a new dispute has emerged in Dindigul. Here, police intervened to prevent clashes between rival factions vying for control of the district party unit.
The Dindigul conflict has brought two influential leaders and former ministers, Natham Viswanathan and Dindigul Srinivasan, into direct confrontation. These differences arose when EPS removed several district-level officials believed to be aligned with the rebel faction.
While Natham Viswanathan has supported the Velumani-Shanmugam camp, Dindigul Srinivasan stands firmly with EPS. Supporters of Viswanathan demanded police protection to enter the district office, while Srinivasan’s supporters opposed this. Consequently, police sealed off the entrance and barred both factions from entering the premises to maintain law and order.
Later, Srinivasan held a meeting with his supporters, reiterating that the AIADMK General Council had unanimously accepted Edappadi K. Palaniswami as the party’s General Secretary and undisputed leader.
Addressing questions regarding the rebel legislators, he stated that decisions would be made according to legal procedures, indicating that action against them is imminent. Meanwhile, the Velumani-Shanmugam faction has intensified efforts to convene an emergency General Council meeting aimed at challenging the current leadership structure.
Reports suggest that supporters of the rebel camp have begun gathering signatures from General Council and Executive Committee members statewide. They claim to have already secured the backing of over 1,000 members. In contrast, the EPS faction remains adamant about taking action against the 25 rebel legislators accused of violating the party whip during the confidence vote in the Assembly.
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