PMK founder elected prez, says Ramadoss faction; Anbumani camp disputes

CHENNAI: Declaring his election as the president of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), after ousting his son Anbumani from the post sometime back, at the party's executive committee and general council meetings called by his faction, party founder Ramadoss was seen wiping tears, sharing what he called the torments he suffered at the hands of his son.

Ramadoss said he couldn’t sleep even after taking sleeping tablets, thinking about the humiliation he had suffered. “I made Anbumani as Union Minister, Member of Parliament and Rajya Sabha member. Today, he betrayed me by freezing the party’s symbol and stabbed me in the chest and back with a spear,” he said, while turning emotional, and also broke into tears.

He claimed that the party is firmly in his hands. “Seeing the gathering, it is evident that almost 95 per cent of people are behind us, while not even five per cent of people are behind Anbumani,” he said. Reiterating his claims that Anbumani is only buying support in the party. "He is spending in lakhs and crores (to get people to meetings). This poll will deliver a befitting reply to him,” the senior leader said.

Ramadoss added that The GC and EC meeting convened by Ramadoss' faction also empowered the party founder to strategise alliances and choose candidates for contesting the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls. Meanwhile, the Anbumani faction claimed that the meeting was not the PMK’s general council or executive committee session, and that any resolutions passed would have no binding effect on the party.

Another resolution removed Anbumani’s wife Sowmiya from the post of president of Pasumai Thayagam, the party’s environmental wing and was replaced with Ramadoss' daughter Srikanti Parasuraman. A total of 27 resolutions were passed in the meeting.

Addressing the gathering, S Ramadoss declared that the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls will deliver a ‘befitting reply’ to his son Anbumani, who is in loggerheads with him.

Reiterating the formation of a ‘victory’ alliance for the 2026 Assembly polls, the PMK leader said, “Over the last ten days, I have sought the opinion of every district secretary to decide on the alliance. Based on their opinion, a victory alliance will be formed. I firmly believe what I think will definitely happen. But time is not yet ripe to decide on the alliance,” he said.

Ramadoss’s daughter, Srikanti, who was elected as the party’s working president, said Anbumani attended only 15 per cent of the sessions in Parliament. In comparison, other MPs attended 75 per cent of the days.

She stated that Tamil Nadu needs a change of regime, and the PMK wanted a share in power. “Our leader Ramadoss will enter the Assembly with a minimum of 25 MLAs,” she said. PMK’s honorary president GK Mani and other functionaries spoke at the meeting.