AIADMK Factions Unite After Two Weeks of Disagreement

AIADMK factions have reunited after two weeks of disagreement over party strategy following the April 23 Assembly election loss. Rebel MLAs, led by S P Velumani, met with party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami at his Chennai residence, affirming their support for him as AIADMK general secretary. Velumani denied engineering a split, attributing the rift to a 'difference of opinion.' The group, including senior leader K C Veeramani and former minister Dr C Vijayabaskar, later met Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar to confirm their unified functioning, withdrawing earlier petitions that could have led to disqualification under the anti-defection law. Notably, C Ve Shanmugam, a key figure in the rebel camp, was absent but Velumani claimed he supported the reconciliation. The reunion comes after four AIADMK MLAs defected to the ruling TVK, reducing the party's strength in the 234-member Assembly from 47 to 43. Velumani attributed the temporary rift to seeking a post-election review, which Palaniswami has agreed to conduct in phases. The unity is seen as a strategic move to regain public trust ahead of upcoming local elections.