AIADMK rebel leaders SP Velumani and C.Ve. Shanmugam addressing a press conference at Mr. Shanmugam’s residence in Chennai on May 13, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
ANDAs many as 25 of the 47 legislators of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) voted in favor of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in the trust vote proposed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. This further deepened the crisis within the party, which finished third in the recent parliamentary elections. Party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and 21 of his supporters voted against the TVK government.
The key question is whether the dissidents suffered disqualification under the law anti-defection law. Mr. Palaniswami is in an unenviable position. If he seeks to disqualify the rebels, the move could lead to a formal split in the party and could result in by-elections that would lead to further marginalization. On the other hand, even if not, the other faction led by former ministers SP Velumani and CV Shanmugam may gain an upper hand in the party structure. In his favor, however, the dissidents cannot save themselves from disqualification because they do not have the necessary two-thirds power to claim they have aligned with another party. The 2023 judgment of the Constitutional Court on related issues arising from the Anti-Defection Act is also not in their favour.
Published – 14 May 2026 0:50 AM IST
