PMK to form mega alliance for 2026 TN Assembly poll: asserts Anbumani at party general council

Even as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is reeling under intense and bitter power struggle between party founder S Ramadoss and his son and president Anbumani, the later asserted at the general council, convened in the absence of the former at the coastal heritage town, Mamallapuram on Saturday, that the party would form a mega alliance and capture power.

The general council itself is held after Madras High Court cleared the decks on Friday by dismissing a plea by Ramadoss to restrain Anbumani from holding it. It was not without drama that Justice N Anand Venkatesh dismissed the petition as not maintainable before attempting at a truce between the warring father-son duo at his chambers. On being asked by the Judge, Anbumani appeared in person while Ramadoss, citing health issues, came through video conferencing from his residence at Thailapuram gardens near Tindivanam, about 130 km from Chennai.

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With Ramadoss refusing to speak to his son, despite being persuaded, and the initiative proving unsuccessful, the Judge dismissed the case on merits observing that the issue had to be decided by a civil court and not under Writ jurisdiction. However, Justice Anand Venkatesh, trying to broker peace, has come under severe criticism from the legal fraternity itself with some lawyers and netizens questioning the rationale behind it.

The general council, following the High Court ruling, has strengthened the hands of Anbumani in taking the reins of the OBC Vanniyar-dominant party with its support base in northern districts of Tamil Nadu, where the Vanniyars are concentrated. Among others, the general council, in a resolution, extended his tenure as party president for another year. Interestingly, this comes in the backdrop of Ramadoss, as the party founder, reclaiming the post of president by demoting Anbumani as Working President. Each side expelling functionaries and MLAs, both have washed the dirty linen in the public, with Ramadoss going to the extent of stating that Anbumani had installed bugging in his Thailapuram residence to spy on him and expressing remorse for having made him a Union Minister during the UPA era. Now, the legal team of Ramadoss is planning to challenge the High Court ruling.

Speaking on the occasion in a conciliatory tone, Anbumani, made it clear that Ramadoss continues to be the guiding light of the party. “Given the present situation, Ramadoss cannot run the party. He is in our midst, though he is not physically present here. As per the wishes of the party workers, the PMK will form a mega alliance soon for the 2026 assembly election. It will be a winning combination.” The party’s vote share has come down and the power struggle has left the party cadre confused. The party, which fought the last assembly poll in the company of the AIADMK and BJP, has not yet decided on the issue of alliance, and it is widely believed that Anbumani might join the NDA. As such, Anbumani’s assertion on the PMK forming a maha gathbandan, according to analysts, is an attempt at keeping the cadre in good spirits and lift their sagging morale.