Chennai, Oct 13:
A faction of senior AIADMK leaders led by former minister S.P. Velumani has decided to stay away from the party’s 55th foundation day celebrations and related public meetings, amid growing differences with party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
The AIADMK has scheduled foundation day public meetings across Tamil Nadu on October 17, 22 and 23. Palaniswami is set to participate in the inaugural meeting in Chengalpattu district on October 17. The decision to boycott the events follows a series of discussions among disgruntled leaders at Velumani’s residence in Chennai.
The differences between the leaders and Palaniswami have widened following the party’s poor performance in the 2026 Assembly election and its defeat in the recent by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, where the AIADMK finished third. The rebel camp is reportedly seeking a meeting of the party’s general council to discuss the repeated electoral setbacks and the leadership’s decisions.
Former ministers C.V. Shanmugam, P. Thangamani and Natham R. Viswanathan, along with K.P. Anbazhagan, are among those involved in discussions on the next course of action. The planned boycott is seen as an attempt to exert pressure on the party leadership, though the group has not publicly detailed its future strategy.