Tamil Nadu politics LIVE: Not in alliance with any party except TVK, says AIADMK's C.Ve. Shanmugam

In a social media post, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) took a jibe at the rebel camp and its three leaders and former Ministers C. Ve. Shanmugam, S.P. Velumani and C. Vijayabaskar without naming the trio. In a strongly-worded post against the rival group on X, AIADMK said: “This party is not an organisation of a few MLAs. It is a movement of party cadre. Whenever this movement faced any problem, it is the decision of the party workers that has emerged victorious.”

Speaking in Tamil Nadu Assembly, the Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said DMK is senior in governance. 

Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, AIADMK MLA S.P. Velumani, who is part of the rebel camp of the AIADMK that announced its support for the TVK earlier this morning, praises Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for the order to close over 700 retail liquor shops across the State. 

The Madras High Court on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) restrained the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA R. Seenivasa Sethupathy from participating in the trust vote to be held on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on or before May 13, 2026, as per the instructions of Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.

A summer vacation Bench of Justices L. Victoria Gowri and N. Senthilkumar passed the interim order after holding a hearing on Sunday (May 10, 2026) and Monday (May 11, 2026) on an urgent writ petition filed by former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister K.R. Periakaruppan, who had lost by a single vote to the TVK MLA.

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As C. Ve. Shanmugam reached the Tamil Nadu Assembly building, he informed reporters there that apart from the ruling TVK, his faction is not in alliance with anyone else. 

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As C. Ve. Shanmugam as S.P. Velumani, announced that a faction of rebel MLAs led by them will extend support to TVK, they also gave their reasoning behind splitting from under Palaniswami’s leadership. 

“We founded this party against DMK. For 53 years, our politics have been against the DMK. Given this history, a proposal suggesting that an AIADMK government be formed with the support of the DMK was put forward; however, the majority of our members rejected and opposed it. If we were to form an alliance with the DMK, the AIADMK would cease to exist. They refused to accept such a scenario,” Mr. Shanmugam said. 

Mr. Shanmugam accused the general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami of trying to form a government with the support of the party’s traditional adversary, DMK. “This was a shock to us.” As the AIADMK was established to oppose the DMK and it had been practising politics all these years only on this plank, any move to collaborate with its rival would render “the party’s disappearance,” Mr Shanmugam observed. 

- The Hindu Bureau

Announcing that a faction of the AIADMK party led by Velumani-Shanmugam will extend support to ruling TVK, S.P. Velumani called for a sitting of the party’s general council meeting immediately. 

- PTI

All is not well in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after the recent election drubbing in Tamil Nadu, with the newly elected legislators sharply divided on electing their Legislature Party leader. While one group supports party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, a larger group is throwing its weight behind former Minister S.P. Velumani.

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As the rift between in the AIADMK widened, with party legislators divided into two groups and seeking to project Edappadi K Palaniswami and S P Velumani as the party’s floor leaders, the faction led by MLAs Velumani-Shanmugam has extended support to ruling TVK. 

- PTI