PMK founder S. Ramadoss expelled his son Anbumani, accusing him of anti-party activities and ignoring 16 disciplinary charges.
The split weakens the BJP-led NDA in Tamil Nadu, as PMK’s Vanniyar vote bank has been a key OBC base.
Despite the expulsion, Anbumani remains officially recognised as PMK president by the Election Commission till 2026, leaving the party’s future uncertain.
The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) feud, party founder S. Ramadoss on Thursday expelled his son and working president Anbumani Ramadoss from the party’s primary membership, citing “unprecedented anti-party activities.”
According to Indian Express, the announcement followed a high-level council meeting at Ramadoss’s Thailapuram farmhouse near Chennai. At a press conference, the veteran leader said Anbumani had failed to reply to 16 charges listed in a show-cause notice, including running a parallel party structure and even allegedly planting a surveillance device on his father’s chair. “The weed called Anbumani has been removed from the PMK,” Ramadoss declared.
The rift , as per the Hindu, had been widening since late 2024, when Ramadoss appointed his grandson P. Mukundan as youth wing president, a move publicly opposed by Anbumani. Mediation attempts involving BJP and RSS leaders, as well as VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan, failed to heal the divide.
While Ramadoss has offered to take back cadres who sided with his son, senior leader K. Balu countered that Anbumani remains PMK’s recognised president under Election Commission records until 2026.
According to Indian Express, Anbumani has not commented publicly, but his next steps, whether launching a new outfit or contesting his expulsion in court , will shape the future of Vanniyar politics.
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