Amid intense speculation surrounding an internal crisis within the AIADMK, senior leader S.P. Velumani has dismissed rumors of a vertical split in the party, stating that there are only minor differences of opinion. Leading a delegation of dissident MLAs, Velumani met with party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) at his residence to clear the air. Following the detailed discussions, Velumani announced their absolute and undivided support for Palaniswami’s leadership, emphasizing that the party remains strongly united and cohesive.
The political developments took an interesting turn as former minister C.Ve. Shanmugam, who had recently made headlines by advocating for the AIADMK to support the newly formed TVK government, chose to skip this high-profile meeting. Addressing the media, Velumani sought to downplay Shanmugam’s absence, revealing that his team had first met with Shanmugam privately to deliberate on party matters before heading to Palaniswami’s residence. He assured that despite varying perspectives on regional political alliances, the core leadership is aligned on keeping the party intact.
Immediately after consolidating their position with the party chief, Velumani and his delegation of MLAs met with the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker to formalize their stance. They submitted an official letter to the Speaker, explicitly stating that all MLAs will continue to function together as a single, unified legislative unit inside the Assembly. This swift counter-maneuver by the Velumani camp has successfully put the brakes on rumors of defection, delivering a temporary sigh of relief to the AIADMK leadership.
