PMK father-son fight results in Anbumani’s expulsion from party

In a desperate fight with his ambitious son and former Union Minister Anbumani, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss on Thursday relieved him as the working president and expelled him from the primary membership of the party, deepening the crisis within the family and the OBC Vanniyar-dominant party.

“He is trying to destroy the PMK. A misfit in politics, he has been acting unilaterally in a manner unbecoming of a responsible politician, refusing to abide by the party’s collective leadership. If he wants, let him launch his own party,” Ramadoss announced before the media, at his farm in Thailapuram near Tindivanam in Villupuram district. He also warned party-men against having any truck with Anbumani. The decision comes after a meeting of the PMK’s Executive Committee meeting.

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The party that has been a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, is yet to decide on the alliance for the 2026 Assembly election. And the ever-escalating feud between the father-son duo for months together had reached a flashpoint after Anbumani failed to respond to the show-cause notice issued to him by the party’s Disciplinary Committee on August 17 after a General Council meeting held at Puducherry. The show-cause notice had listed 16 charges and Anbumani’s explanation was sought by August 31. It was extended up to September 10. With the deadline expiring, Ramadoss had decided to crack the whip.

“The Disciplinary panel concluded that all the charges against Anbumani had been proved and that his actions were detrimental to the interests of the party. Despite repeated opportunities to mend his ways, he is not inclined to change,” he said and maintained that the PMK is a party built by him through years of struggle.

It is ironic that Ramadoss who campaigned for Anbumani to become chief minister in the 2016 election, had then said “I will give the pen for him to sign the first file as the CM.” And the campaign was styled on that of Barack Obama with the slogan ‘Change Anbumani’, which proved to be a comic relief then. Now, he had expelled him from the party for hijacking it.

However, the Anbumani camp remains nonchalant, claiming that the expulsion has no legal sanctity since the party founder, an honorary post, has no authority to remove anyone. “Dr Ramadoss has no authority to remove Anbumani, who has been duly elected by the party general council. Anbumani is the president recognised by the Election Commission. The office-bearers with Anbumani are also recognised by the ECI,” PMK spokesperson and advocate K Balu told the media in Chennai. “As per the PMK constitution and bylaws, Anbumani is the president and he has been elected to that post till next August,” he added.

According to observers, the party has been witnessing a steady erosion in its support base and this power struggle between the father-son duo has left the functionaries and the cadre in despair.