CHENNAI: The two warring factions of the AIADMK have reached a consensus to reunite, sources said. The party’s leaders are expected to submit a letter to the Speaker seeking to revoke their support for the TVK government during the no-confidence motion.
The AIADMK had split into two camps - one led by C Ve Shanmugam and the other by Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). The Shanmugam faction had 25 MLAs, while the EPS camp had 22.
Of the 25 MLAs in the Shanmugam camp, four - K Maragatham Kumaravel, P Sathyabama, S Jayakumar, and Essaki Subaiah - resigned from their posts and joined the TVK. Meanwhile, six MLAs, including P Haribaskar, SM Sugumar, D Jaishankar, NSN Natarajan, K Mohan, and P Balakrishna Reddy, returned to the EPS camp, reducing the Shanmugam–Velumani faction’s strength to 15 MLAs.
In a bid to reunite the party, senior leaders - including former ministers Natham R Viswanathan, P Thangamani, and Ko Hari - met Edappadi K. Palaniswami at his Greenways Road residence on Tuesday for discussions.
Sources said the Shanmugam faction demanded the restoration of party posts and the formation of a high-level committee for collective decision-making. However, EPS rejected these demands. He urged the opposing camp to withdraw complaints filed with the Speaker against the party leadership and assured them of “due respect” within the party structure.
Against this backdrop, both factions have now arrived at a consensus to reunite, ending the internal deadlock. Confirming the development, the AIADMK’s IT wing shared a message on social media quoting former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa: “Even after centuries, the AIADMK will continue to function for the people.”
The IT wing further stated that the party—built through the sacrifices of crores of cadres—has now become an “iron fortress” that cannot be shaken. “There will no longer be divisions among us. No one can find a way to break this iron fortress anymore,” the statement read.
The message added that the sole aim of the cadre is to once again see the AIADMK’s iconic “Two Leaves” symbol flying over Fort St George, signaling the party’s possible return to power in Tamil Nadu.