SPV boycotts, Student Wing secretary quits; EPS in a spot as AIADMK crisis worsens

CHENNAI: The AIADMK suffered a setback once more on Thursday with its Students' Wing secretary Singai G Ramachandran resigning from the party, even as senior leader and former rebel SP Velumani stayed away from a consultative meeting convened by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, adding to speculation over the stability of the patch-up.

Ramachandran, who hails from Coimbatore, attended the meeting chaired by Palaniswami with district functionaries earlier in the day. However, by the evening, he submitted his resignation letter to the AIADMK leadership, citing dissatisfaction with the party's functioning under Palaniswami.

In his resignation letter, Ramachandran said recent developments within the party were unacceptable. He stated that he had repeatedly conveyed his concerns to the leadership, but no corrective action had been taken.

The son of former AIADMK MLA Singai Govindaraj, Ramachandran contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Coimbatore constituency on an AIADMK ticket and finished third.

Meanwhile, former minister SP Velumani did not attend the consultative meeting held with Coimbatore district functionaries. His absence comes amid reports of dissatisfaction after he was not reinstated as Coimbatore district secretary, a post he earlier held. Although he was subsequently appointed deputy general secretary, one of the party's senior organisational positions, his decision to skip the meeting has intensified speculation about continuing differences within the AIADMK.

The meeting was convened to review the party's Assembly election performance and discuss measures to strengthen the organisation. Following the election, several MLAs earlier considered close to the SP Velumani-CVe Shanmugam camp, including Ko Hari (Tiruttani), Mohan (Panruti), Hari Bhaskar (Erode) and Maragatham Vetrivel (Pappireddipatti), have attended meetings convened by Palaniswami. Against this backdrop, Velumani's absence has fuelled speculation over the party's internal dynamics.