Support for Vijay, snub to BJP: AIADMK faction move sends ripples through NDA politics
Published on: May 12, 2026, 11:32 a.m. | Source: Times of India
AI: Amid the growing split within the AIADMK, a faction led by senior leaders SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam on Tuesday announced support to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government headed by chief minister C Joseph Vijay, and a split from NDA alliance while intensifying pressure on party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). Addressing reporters after another round of consultations with MLAs and district secretaries, Shanmugam said the faction would meet Vijay later in the day and submit a formal letter extending support to the TVK government. “We are not in alliance with any other party now. A new alliance has to be formed. Accepting the people’s verdict, the AIADMK legislative party has decided to support the TVK government,” Shanmugam said. In a sharp attack on EPS, Shanmugam alleged that Palaniswami had proposed forming a government with the support of the DMK after the Assembly election results, but claimed the idea was rejected by a majority of MLAs.
