Tamil Nadu CM Vijay (second from left) meets AIADMK MLAs C.Ve. Shanmugam (left), SP Velumani (second right) and C. Vijayabaskar in Chennai on May 12, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
Ahead of the floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday (May 13, 2026), Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) challenged rebel AIADMK leaders led by former ministers SP Velumani and C.Ve. Shanmugam hours after announcing support for his ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Earlier in the Assembly, newly elected JCD Chairman Prabhakar allowed Mr. Velumani to also speak immediately after AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami delivered a short speech congratulating the Chairman on his election.
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In the morning, the rebels declared Mr. Velumani the “Leader of the AIADMK Legislature Party”. However, Mr. Palaniswami’s supporters 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 OS Manian said.
In an interview with The Hindu, the spokesperson acknowledged that he had received separate representations from both parties (about the election of the leader of the legislature party).
Mr. Vijay, who continued to address various political party leaders for the second consecutive day, went to Mr. Shanmugam’s house in Chennai in the afternoon.
Earlier, Mr Shanmugam had accused Mr Palaniswami of trying to form a government with the support of arch-rival DMK after a fractured mandate in the Assembly elections. “It was a shock for us,” he told reporters. Since the AIADMK was formed to oppose the DMK and its politics revolved around it for 53 years, any move to work with its rival would lead to the “disappearance of the party,” he said. Therefore, it was decided to extend the support to TVK.
Mr Shanmugam and Mr Velumani said the reasons for the party’s back-to-back electoral setbacks needed to be analysed. “We have asked the secretary general to convene a general council meeting as soon as possible,” Mr Shanmugam said, adding, “we are no longer in any pre-election alliance”.
Mr. Velumani asked the media not to spread rumors that his group was seeking to create a split in the party. “The elders of many of us have been in the party since the foundation of the organization,” he pointed out.
The group said G. Hari (Tiruttani MLA) was elected as deputy leader; C. Vijayabhaskar (Former Minister), Whip; and Kamaraj, Secretary.
However, senior AIADMK leader OS Manian, a supporter of Mr Palaniswami, accused Mr Shanmugam of spreading false information and trying to lure MLAs. While he claimed that all 47 AIADMK legislators had signed the letter electing Mr. Palaniswami as the leader of the legislature party, there were currently 26 members on his side. “Signatures of all members supporting Mr. Palaniswami prove that AIADMK remains united. The desire to become ministers or hold powerful positions is the reason for such statements (from rebels). While the media is saying that they (rebels) have 30 MLAs and we have 17, actually we have 26 members with us,” Mr. Manian told reporters at the secretariat.
Pointing out that under Mr. Palaniswami’s leadership various problems were overcome and the ‘two leaves’ symbol was regained (it was frozen after the split after Jayalalithaa’s death), he said the NDA got nearly 1.34 crore votes in the elections.
Mr Manian dismissed Mr Shanmugam’s claims of alliance talks with the DMK as “totally baseless”. He claimed that the rebels were driven by a desire to become ministers.
Agri SS Krishnamurthy, who was appointed by Mr. Palaniswami, said, “As per the instructions of the General Secretary, we will vote against the Trust Motion. All members have been informed. Legal action will be initiated against anyone who cross-votes.”
Published – 12 May 2026 22:11 IST
