The power struggle inside the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has now spilled beyond the party’s top leadership and into district units across Tamil Nadu, with rival camps fighting for control of local offices and organisational structures.
The latest confrontation unfolded in Dindigul on Sunday, where police were deployed after tensions escalated between supporters of former ministers Natham Viswanathan and Dindigul Srinivasan. Authorities eventually restricted access to the district party office after both groups attempted to assert control over the unit.
The growing unrest comes at a politically sensitive time for the opposition party, which is facing one of its sharpest internal divisions since Edappadi K Palaniswami consolidated his position as general secretary. The factional battle has already affected party offices in districts such as Villupuram, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai and Karur, with several units reportedly locked amid fears of clashes between rival supporters.
The dispute in Dindigul was triggered after Palaniswami removed several district-level office-bearers believed to be close to the camp led by former ministers SP Velumani and C.Ve. Shanmugham.
While Natham Viswanathan has openly aligned himself with the Velumani-Shanmugham faction, Dindigul Srinivasan has continued to back Palaniswami. Supporters of Viswanathan sought police protection to enter the district office, but the move was resisted by the EPS camp, forcing police to intervene to prevent any law-and-order issue.
Later in the day, Srinivasan met his supporters and reiterated that the AIADMK general council had unanimously endorsed Palaniswami as the party’s leader and general secretary.
He also hinted at possible disciplinary action against rebel MLAs accused of violating the party whip during the Assembly trust vote, saying the matter would proceed according to legal procedures.
Why the AIADMK factional fight is intensifying
Even as the EPS camp pushes for action against dissident legislators, the rival faction has stepped up efforts to challenge the current leadership setup within the party.
Sources in the rebel camp claimed that signatures are being collected from members of the AIADMK general council and executive committee to convene an emergency general council meeting. Supporters of the Velumani-Shanmugham faction have reportedly claimed backing from over 1,000 members across the state.
The latest developments indicate that the internal conflict within the AIADMK is steadily moving from a leadership dispute to a wider organisational battle across Tamil Nadu districts.