End Of Road For EPS? AIADMK Rebel Faction Only 2 MLAs Short Of Avoiding Anti-Defection

Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 17:50 IST

After AIADMK’s latest electoral setback, the rebel camp has demanded an immediate General Council meeting with the clear objective of removing EPS from the top post.

Around 30 AIADMK MLAs, led by senior leaders S P Velumani and C V Shanmugam, have openly revolted against party supremo Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), signalling the possibility of another split in the party.

Shanmugam, who has extended support to the C Joseph Vijay-led government, now needs the backing of around 32 MLAs — two-thirds of AIADMK’s total strength of 47 legislators — to claim the status of the “real" AIADMK. If that happens, it could mark a political sunset for EPS in Tamil Nadu politics.

Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the Anti-Defection Law, a split is legally protected from disqualification only if two-thirds of the legislative party breaks away together. The latest example was seen in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), when Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and six other parliamentarians merged with the BJP under provisions of the anti-defection law.

The AIADMK rebellion has been fuelled by explosive allegations from Shanmugam, who has accused EPS of a “betrayal of ideology" and attempting to align with arch-rival DMK to prevent Vijay from forming the government after TVK fell short of the majority mark.

In a counter-strategy, the rebel faction has moved closer to Chief Minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. By backing TVK, the rebels hope to project themselves as the “true" AIADMK that remains firmly anti-DMK.

The political optics inside the Assembly further underlined EPS’ weakening grip. On Tuesday, EPS entered the House with only a small group of loyalists — around 17 MLAs — a stark contrast to his earlier stature as a powerful Leader of Opposition. While he continues to hold the post of General Secretary organisationally, his control over the legislative wing appears to be slipping rapidly.

The rise of Edappadi K Palaniswami from a district-level functionary to AIADMK General Secretary remains one of the most remarkable political journeys in Tamil Nadu politics. Unlike many leaders who relied on charisma or family legacy, EPS built his rise through organisational discipline, strategic patience and a strong “Kongu belt" support base.

Palaniswami joined the AIADMK in 1974, just two years after the party was founded by M G Ramachandran (MGR). Beginning as a branch secretary in Salem district, he stayed loyal to J Jayalalithaa during the bitter split in the party after MGR’s death in 1987, when AIADMK was divided between factions led by Janaki Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa.

He won his first Assembly election from Edappadi in 1989 and steadily climbed the party ranks over the following decades. EPS later served as Propaganda Secretary in 2006 and held important ministerial portfolios during Jayalalithaa’s tenure.

After Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, AIADMK plunged into a leadership crisis. In a key political move, EPS joined hands with O Panneerselvam (OPS) to block V K Sasikala’s rise. He later emerged as Chief Minister after surviving a dramatic floor test in the Assembly.

Following AIADMK’s defeat in the 2021 elections, EPS moved to dismantle the party’s “dual leadership" structure. Through a series of General Council meetings and prolonged legal battles between 2022 and 2023, he succeeded in removing OPS from the leadership structure. In March 2023, the Supreme Court recognised EPS as the party’s sole General Secretary.

Now, the same organisational machinery that EPS once used to consolidate his authority is threatening to turn against him. After the party’s latest electoral setback, the rebel camp has demanded an immediate AIADMK General Council meeting with the clear objective of removing him from the top post.

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