Ramadoss expels son Anbumani from PMK

CHENNAI: Months of tussle between Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani climaxed on Thursday when the senior leader announced his son’s expulsion from the party’s primary membership for failing to reply to disciplinary notices on 16 charges of anti-party activities.

Anbumani, who was at Devananpattinam in Cuddalore as part of his statewide Tamil Nadu People’s Right Retrieval Yatra, dismissed questions from reporters on the expulsion, saying he had “more important work to do than react to this.”

His close aide and senior advocate K Balu came out in his support, saying only the party’s general council, which elected Anbumani as president, has the authority to remove him.

The rift first surfaced on public forum last December when Ramadoss during a party meeting named his grandson P Mukundan, the son of his eldest daughter Gandhimathi, as youth wing president. Anbumani instantly opposed the move, asking how a recent entrant could be elevated so quickly and ended the meeting by dropping his microphone.

In April, Ramadoss declared himself party president and relegated Anbumani to working president. Anbumani later convened the general council at Mamallapuram on August 9 to secure a one-year extension for himself and other office-bearers. Last month, Ramadoss appointed Gandhimathi to the party’s administrative council.

After chairing a high-level committee meeting at Thailapuram near Tindivanam, Ramadoss told reporters that Anbumani ignored two opportunities to respond and that “his silence implies acceptance of the charges.” The committee upheld allegations of insubordination, parallel factional activity and unauthorised surveillance at party headquarters.

Describing his son “unfit for political leadership,” Ramadoss said Anbumani lacked the qualities to guide the organisation and compared his conduct to “a weed that must be removed for the party to grow.” He instructed cadres to cut organisational ties with Anbumani and warned of action against anyone who defied the directive.

Ramadoss subsequently told Anbumani to henceforth use only his initial “R” and not the family name ‘Ramadoss.’ He recounted decades spent building the PMK and claimed his son had disregarded the advice of senior leaders and family elders. Anbumani, he said, was free to float his own political party.

The founder added that the post of working president would remain and that he would name a successor soon. Anbumani’s wife Sowmya continues to lead the Pasumai Thaayagam environmental wing, as no action has been taken against her so far.

The vertical split in the PMK, which draws significant support from the Vanniyar community in northern Tamil Nadu, is expected to weaken the party’s bargaining power in the upcoming Assembly seat negotiations. Amid the feud, senior Ramadoss has moved closer to the DMK-led alliance, while Anbumani has stepped up criticism of the ruling DMK and is seen as leaning towards the BJP-AIADMK combine.