CVe Shanmugam, SP Velumani camp likely to revive GC meet demand

CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK leaders SP Velumani, CVe Shanmugam, Natham R Viswanathan, Thangamani and KP Anbalagan met at Velumani’s residence on Monday (October 12) to plan their next move against party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), amid mounting discontent over the party’s electoral performance.

The leaders are preparing to question EPS’s leadership and demand accountability for the party’s successive electoral setbacks, with the recent by-election defeats in Maduranthakam and Dharapuram adding to the discontent. Their earlier attempt to rope in MLAs to function as a separate unit in the Assembly failed.

Sources said the faction is likely to seek to convene the AIADMK general council to review the party’s electoral performance and decisions taken under EPS’s leadership. The leaders are also expected to press for organisational changes, arguing that the party needs a course correction after its repeated electoral reverses.

If EPS refuses to convene the general council, the leaders are said to be exploring ways to push for a meeting to discuss the party’s performance and leadership.

The latest deliberations signal a renewed attempt by the Velumani and Shanmugam camps to mount pressure on EPS from within the party, with the outcome of Monday’s meeting expected to shape their next course of action.

Earlier, the two factions had explored the possibility of functioning as a separate group within the AIADMK in the Assembly. They had sought the support of 32 MLAs for the move, but the effort did not materialise.

The leaders are also preparing to highlight the party’s electoral setbacks since 2019, including the latest by-election defeats, to bolster their case for a review of the party’s leadership and functioning.