Over the past couple of years the AIADMK has been facing internal issues which resurfaced with a very public fallout between veteran leader and former minister KA Sengottaiyan and party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS)
The internal friction in the AIADMK—a major political force in Tamil Nadu politics—comes at a time when the party is recalibrating its political strategy to take on its main rival—the ruling DMK—in the 2026 Assembly elections. The southern party, which has had a blow-hot-blow-cold relationship with the BJP, recently realigned with the saffron party, confirming that it will contest the upcoming polls as part of the NDA.
Over the past couple of years the AIADMK has been facing internal issues which resurfaced with a very public fallout between veteran leader and former minister KA Sengottaiyan and party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). Sengottaiyan, who held important roles as AIADMK Organisational Secretary, had on Friday urged the leadership to take back those who had left the party. “If we again get back those (factions) who left us, we can win the election,” he said, stressing that many senior leaders had offered suggestions after AIADMK’s electoral losses but EPS did not pay heed. However, Sengottaiyan, who had been making public calls for the re-induction of expelled leaders to strengthen the party, was sacked from all posts.
On Sunday, EPS said attempts are being made to weaken the AIADMK which were being thwarted with the support of the people. Addressing the rally in Dindigul, the party General Secretary was quoted as saying: “MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa did not have an heir. People are their heirs. Many are trying to break this party to stunt it but we are destroying all their attempts. This is a cadres’ party, a living party and no one can break it. AIADMK is the only party where even a cadre can become an MLA, MP, Minister and Chief Minister. Only in AIADMK can a cadre become a party General Secretary.”
EPS did not name anyone but the statements were seen pointing at Sengottaiyan and his demand for reconciliation. Training guns on Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK government, he instead sharpened criticism of the ruling party, accusing it of large-scale corruption and financial mismanagement.
AIADMK’ woes
This was not the first time leaders have been expelled from the AIADMK.
Sengottaiyan’s appeal drew support from expelled leader VK Sasikala—a close aide of the late former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. “His call for unity is now the voice of every single party worker and indeed, the voice of the people of Tamil Nadu. I too strongly emphasise this,” she said.
EPS has been at the helm of affairs since July 2022 when the AIADMK General Council expelled former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
AIADMK has been struggling, failing to secure a win since the death of supremo Jayalaithaa in 2016.
Meanwhile, the BJP-AIADMK alliance, as of now, is restricted to Tamil Nadu, according to state leaders.
