The political landscape of Tamil Nadu is abuzz with an intriguing development, as 37 AIADMK MLAs seemingly rally against Edappadi K. Palaniswami and express support for the Tamil Nadu Victory Party (TNVK). This sudden turn of events has sent shockwaves through the state's political arena, raising questions and sparking intense speculation.
The Background
In the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, AIADMK faced a significant setback, winning only 47 seats compared to the 66 it secured in the 2021 elections. This loss not only cost them their status as the primary opposition party but also saw an unprecedented number of their candidates losing their deposits in various constituencies.
Amidst this turmoil, a senior leader from the TNVK is said to have attempted to lure some AIADMK MLAs to their side. In response, a faction within AIADMK decided to take a stand in support of TNVK. Upon learning of this, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the former Chief Minister, took swift action by accommodating the AIADMK MLAs in a private hostel in Puducherry.
While Vijay was engaged in coalition talks with the DMK and its allies, there was a sudden twist as rumors spread that the AIADMK was planning to form a government with DMK support, with Edappadi K. Palaniswami potentially returning as Chief Minister. This development caused a stir in Tamil Nadu's political circles, though it ultimately led to no significant progress.
Edappadi Palaniswami's Strategy
Meanwhile, the AIADMK MLAs who had been accommodated in Puducherry returned to Chennai and met with Edappadi Palaniswami at his residence on Pasumai Way Road. Palaniswami held an extensive consultation with them, discussing the party's consecutive defeats and the decision on alliances. Former ministers S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam participated in the meeting, with some sources indicating that certain individuals directly accused Palaniswami of certain issues.
Declaration of War
In a surprising turn of events, the AIADMK MLAs reconvened at the residence of former minister C.V. Shanmugam in Raja Annamalai Puram. An advisory meeting began there at 2:30 p.m., with approximately 37 MLAs in attendance, including S.P. Velumani, Natham Visvanathan, Leema Rose, and Thalaivay Sundaram. It is reported that some individuals raised the flag of war against Edappadi Palaniswami and spoke against him.
Support for TNVK
In this context, reports suggest that key figures within AIADMK, including C.V. Shanmugam, S.P. Velumani, and C. Vijayabaskar, have come forward to support the TNVK. With 35 out of AIADMK's 47 MLAs reportedly expressing support for TNVK, a situation reminiscent of the party's splits after the deaths of M.G.R. in 1987 and J. Jayalalithaa in 2017 has emerged.
According to the law, if more than two-thirds of a party's MLAs break away, they are not subject to the anti-defection law. As such, these 37 MLAs could be considered the "true AIADMK," allowing them to retain their positions and bolster TNVK's chances of forming a government.
The AIADMK MLAs' Meeting Today
Reports indicate that the support letters of these 35 MLAs will be submitted to the Governor. This has kept the Tamil Nadu political scene on edge, with the Congress and Left parties already having secured 118 seats, the magic number. If these 35 AIADMK members also offer their support, Vijay's strength in the Assembly is said to surge at an unprecedented rate.
In the meantime, an AIADMK district secretaries' meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. today in Chennai, where it is speculated that a crucial decision could be made. Some suggest that the decision to remove Edappadi Palaniswami should be taken at the MLAs' meeting, while others argue that it should be made at the party meeting. The political circles are abuzz with the anticipation that this internal AIADMK issue will explode into a major earthquake within the next day or two.
