Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 12 : Amid speculations of an AIADMK party split, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay visited the office of former Tamil Nadu minister CV Shanmugam on Tuesday, signalling a potential shift in the state's legislative alliances.
The visit comes at a time when the AIADMK is grappling with internal divisions, effectively splitting the party into two distinct camps, one led by Shanmugam and the other by former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).
Upon his arrival, Vijay was warmly received by senior AIADMK leaders, including Shanmugam and SP Velumani.
This display of support suggests a deepening rift within the AIADMK, as a portion of its elected representatives appears to be gravitating toward Shanmugam's leadership.
Meanwhile, AIADMK MLA Thalavai N Sundaram has dismissed the claims made by Shanmugam regarding a supposed alliance between EPS and the DMK, warning of legal action if such a split occurs.
"All the statements given by CV Shanmugam are false. They want a berth with the TVK. We will take legal action (if MLAs split). We met the Speaker regarding many issues. We have given a list of MLAs to the Speaker. NDA alliance is present," he said.
There appears to be two clear factions in the AIADMK, with one faction led by MLA CV Shanmugam claiming the majority and announcing support for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government in Tamil Nadu. Shanumagan said that the majority of party members had rejected the proposal of forming a government with the support of the DMK.
"We started this party against the DMK. For 53 years, we did politics against the DMK. In such a situation, the proposal that an AIADMK government would be formed with the support of the DMK was one that the majority of members did not accept and instead opposed. If we join an alliance with the DMK, then the AIADMK will vanish. They didn't accept it. We decided to support the TVK, which got the victory," he said.
Rumours of another split within the AIADMK intensified after several party MLAs reached the residence of CV Shanmugam following the Tamil Nadu election results, in which the party managed to secure only 47 seats.
Speculation also grew over a possible alliance between the AIADMK and TVK, even as several MLAs associated with the Shanmugam faction were moved to a private resort in Puducherry.
Ahead of tomorrow's high-stakes floor test in the Legislative Assembly, Vijay has embarked on a whirlwind series of meetings with key allies to solidify his government's majority.
The actor-turned-politician visited the Congress state headquarters in Chennai to engage with party leadership and met with VCK President Thol. Thirumavalavan at his Velachery residence.
The TVK-led coalition received a significant boost on Saturday when the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) extended its "unconditional support." With the addition of the IUML's two seats, the total number of MLAs backing Vijay's bid to form the government has reached 121surpassing the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member assembly.
The current strength of the alliance is a consolidation of TVK's own legislature and a diverse bloc of supporters, including Congress (5 seats), along with the CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML, which contribute two seats each.
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