Gripped By Rebellion, Staring At A Split:  Is Edappadi K. Palaniswami Losing Control Over AIADMK?

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which has been going through a turbulent phase over the last several years, is now facing yet another major crisis after being pushed to the third position in the recently concluded election. A significant section of the newly elected legislators is reportedly considering extending support to the Vijay government during the forthcoming vote of confidence. Significantly, both factions arrived separately at the Assembly, underlining the deepening fissures within the party.

According to party leaders, the split is expected to be formalised within a day or two. The rebel camp is demanding that Edappadi K. Palaniswami step down as the party’s general secretary, holding him responsible for the massive electoral defeat.

Senior leaders C. V. Shanmugam and S. P. Velumani have convened a meeting of MLAs on Sunday without the knowledge of Palaniswami. According to sources, a substantial number of legislators — enough to potentially circumvent the anti-defection law — attended the meeting. Simultaneously, the official faction led by Palaniswami convened a meeting of district secretaries. Leaders associated with the rebel camp claim that a majority of the MLAs and district secretaries are now backing them. Palaniswami, however, has not yet publicly responded to the developments. The Edappadi camp has, however, rejected claims of rebellion within the party.

The crisis once again highlights how the Dravidian parties (DMK) and the AIADMK — despite their proclaimed ideological orientation- have historically revolved around powerful central leadership. The DMK was shaped first by C. N. Annadurai, then by M. Karunanidhi, and subsequently by his son and current party president M. K. Stalin.

The AIADMK, which emerged out of the DMK, similarly depended on towering personalities such as M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa. However, after Jayalalithaa’s demise, the party became increasingly besieged by internal rivalries and factional struggles, which now appear to be reaching a crescendo in the aftermath of the latest electoral setback.

It remains uncertain whether the rebel faction within the AIADMK will float a separate party and extend outside support to the TVK government, or eventually merge with the ruling party itself.  The leaders of the rebel group refused to comment on the recent development.

A senior TVK leader indicated that Joseph Vijay wants all AIADMK MLAs who have decided to support the government to resign from the Assembly and recontest on the TVK symbol. Such a move, if successful, could help the ruling party secure a simple majority on its own and reduce its dependence on outside support.

However, many of the MLAs are reportedly wary of the proposal, fearing that resigning and seeking a fresh mandate under a different party banner could trigger backlash in their constituencies. Several legislators are understood to believe that voters who elected them on the AIADMK ticket may view such a switch as political opportunism, making a re-election far from straightforward.

The churn within

After the demise of J. Jayalalithaa in 2016, the AIADMK has undergone tumultuous changes, largely driven by persistent leadership struggles. Jayalalithaa had commanded unquestioned allegiance from the party leadership and cadre alike. However, following her death, internal rivalries steadily intensified, leading to repeated factional battles, splits within the organisation, and the exit of several senior leaders from the party.

The first major crisis erupted when V. K. Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s close aide, assumed the post of party general secretary and attempted to replace the then Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. However, her influence within the party waned after she was arrested in a corruption case and sent to prison. She was later expelled from the party.

But Panneerselvam’s troubles did not end there. Edappadi K. Palaniswami became Chief Minister, while Panneerselvam assumed the post of Deputy Chief Minister after a truce was brokered between the warring factions. The arrangement, however, proved short-lived. Palaniswami gradually consolidated his influence within the party, sidelined Panneerselvam, and eventually expelled him from the AIADMK.

In 2019, the first major election fought under the leadership of Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the AIADMK suffered a crushing defeat, winning just one Lok Sabha seat while the DMK-led alliance swept the state.

In 2021, the AIADMK contested the Assembly election as part of the NDA alongside the BJP. However, the alliance lost the election and the DMK, led by M. K. Stalin, returned to power. The AIADMK suffered another major setback in the 2024 parliamentary election as well.

Seeking accountability

The latest defeat marks the fourth consecutive electoral setback for the party since Palaniswami took control of the AIADMK. “Every leader should have some accountability. Edappadi should have taken moral responsibility and stepped down,” a rebel leader, a former MLA  from Chennai, said.

Soon after the election results were announced, the AIADMK shifted its newly elected MLAs to a resort in an apparent attempt to prevent any “poaching efforts” by TVK. However, despite the precaution, it now appears that a significant section of the legislators has decided to extend support to the TVK government.

According to party sources, the rebel move is being orchestrated by senior leaders C. V. Shanmugam and S. P. Velumani. The development has intensified uncertainty within the party, particularly over the question of leadership in the legislature.

With Edappadi K. Palaniswami himself having won the election, the immediate question confronting the AIADMK is who will eventually emerge as the leader of its parliamentary party. If the rebel faction succeeds in demonstrating majority support among the MLAs, it could trigger a direct challenge to Palaniswami’s authority in the legislature, further deepening the party's crisis. For the AIADMK, which has been grappling with a prolonged crisis since the demise of J. Jayalalithaa, the present moment could prove to be one of the most critical phases in its history. For the first time since its formation, the party finds itself neither in power nor in the position of the principal opposition in Tamil Nadu.

With the rise of TVK as a formidable political force, the AIADMK’s troubles no longer appear to be merely temporary or cyclical. Instead, the party now seems to be confronting an existential crisis that threatens its organisational coherence, electoral relevance, and its traditional role as one of the two dominant Dravidian forces in the state.