CHENNAI: Amid reports of a possible split within the AIADMK, a faction led by senior leaders S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam on Tuesday announced support for the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government headed by chief minister C Joseph Vijay, while asserting that the party is not in any formal alliance with any other political party, including the BJP.The remark carries significance beyond Tamil Nadu and could have repercussions in the national politics where the AIADMK has been aligned with the NDA.Addressing reporters after another round of consultations with MLAs and district secretaries, Shanmugam said the faction would meet Vijay later in the day and submit a formal letter extending support to the TVK government.“We are not in alliance with any other party now. A new alliance has to be formed. Accepting the people’s verdict, the AIADMK legislative party has decided to support the TVK government,” Shanmugam said.In a sharp attack on Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), Shanmugam alleged that Palaniswami had proposed forming a government with the support of the DMK after the assembly election results, but claimed the idea was rejected by a majority of MLAs.“AIADMK was formed only to defeat the DMK. For 53 years, we have done politics against the DMK. If we align with the DMK, the AIADMK will vanish,” he said, adding that legislators and cadres strongly opposed any understanding with the ruling party.The Velumani-Shanmugam faction also asserted that a majority of AIADMK MLAs had elected former minister S P Velumani as legislature party leader, while former minister C Vijayabaskar had been chosen as whip. Shanmugam said letters regarding the appointments had already been submitted to the pro tem Speaker.The rift within the party became visible on the opening day of the Assembly session when AIADMK MLAs arrived in two separate groups — one loyal to EPS and another led by Velumani and Shanmugam.While EPS has staked claim to continue as legislature party leader in his capacity as party general secretary, the rival camp has argued that only elected MLAs have the authority to choose the floor leader.Despite the sharp differences, Velumani denied speculation about a formal split in the party.“This is not a breakup of the AIADMK. We are only waiting for the general secretary to take the right decision to move the party forward,” Velumani said.The developments mark a major escalation in the internal crisis gripping the AIADMK following its poor performance in the Tamil Nadu assembly election, where the party won only 47 seats.
