AIADMK rebel MLAs to back TVK in Tamil Nadu floor test

Ahead of Wednesday’s (May 13, 2026) floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) called on rebel AIADMK leaders led by former Ministers S.P. Velumani and C.Ve. Shanmugam hours after they announced support to his ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Earlier, in the Assembly, newly elected Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, allowed Mr. Velumani also to speak immediately after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami delivered a short speech congratulating the Speaker on his election.

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In the morning, the rebels declared Mr. Velumani as the “AIADMK Legislature Party leader”. Mr. Palaniswami’s supporters, however, said he was the leader of the Legislature Party. The AIADMK led by Mr. Palaniswami would vote against the confidence motion to be moved by the TVK government, senior leader O.S. Manian said.

In an interview with The Hindu, the Speaker acknowledged that he got separate representations from both sides (on the election of Legislature Party leader).

Mr. Vijay, who continued his outreach to various political party leaders for the second consecutive day, went to Mr. Shanmugam’s house in Chennai in the afternoon.

Earlier, Mr. Shanmugam accused Mr. Palaniswami of having attempted to form a government with arch rival DMK’s support following the fractured mandate in the Assembly election. “This was a shock to us,” he told journalists. Since the AIADMK was established to oppose the DMK, and its politics revolved around this for 53 years, any move to collaborate with its rival would lead to “the party’s disappearance,” he said. Therefore, it was resolved to extend support to the TVK.

Mr. Shanmugam and Mr. Velumani said the reasons for the party’s back-to-back electoral setbacks must be analysed. “We have requested the general secretary to convene a meeting of the general council as early as possible,” Mr. Shanmugam said adding, “we are no longer in any pre-poll alliance”.

Mr. Velumani requested the media not to spread rumours that his group was seeking to create a split in the party. “Elders of many of us were with the party since the launch of the organisation,” he pointed out.

The group said G. Hari (Tiruttani MLA) was elected the deputy leader; C. Vijayabhaskar (former Minister), the whip; and Kamaraj, the secretary.

However, AIADMK senior leader O.S. Manian, a supporter of Mr. Palaniswami, accused Mr. Shanmugam of spreading false information and attempting to lure MLAs. While he claimed that all 47 AIADMK legislators had signed a letter electing Mr. Palaniswami as the Legislature Party leader, presently, 26 members were on his side. “The signatures of all members supporting Mr. Palaniswami proves the AIADMK remains united. The desire to become Ministers or hold powerful positions is what is driving such statements (from rebels). While the media says they [rebels] have 30 MLAs and we have 17, we actually have 26 members with us,” Mr. Manian told journalists at the Secretariat.

Pointing out under Mr. Palaniswami’s leadership various challenges were overcome and the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol reclaimed (it was frozen following a split after Jayalalithaa’s death), he said in the election, the NDA secured nearly 1.34 crore votes.

Mr. Manian dismissed as “entirely baseless” Mr. Shanmugam’s claim of alliance talks with the DMK. The rebels were driven by a desire to become Ministers, he alleged.

Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy, who was appointed whip by Mr. Palaniswami, said, “As per the directions of the general secretary, we will vote against the Motion of Confidence. All members have been informed. Legal action will be initiated against anyone who cross-votes.”