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Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s political landscape appears headed for a major churn after the spectacular rise of Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) triggered visible cracks inside the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), pushing the party into what could become its biggest internal crisis since the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

What began as murmurs of internal discontent after the election results has now exploded into a full-blown public power struggle involving rival camps, competing leadership claims, support to Vijay’s government, anti-DMK posturing and open messaging wars within the AIADMK.

The first signs of the widening divide were publicly visible inside the Tamil Nadu Assembly itself during the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs on Monday.

Senior AIADMK leader and Mailam MLA-elect CV Shanmugam skipped the initial oath-taking session despite being present in the Assembly complex. Though he later took oath, the move triggered intense speculation over a brewing leadership battle inside the party.

The optics inside the House further fuelled the buzz, with MLAs loyal to Shanmugam and those backing AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami seen sitting separately during the proceedings.

The split became even more evident after both EPS and senior leader SP Velumani were separately allowed to speak in the Assembly on Tuesday, a significant political signal amid the ongoing tussle over who would ultimately lead the AIADMK legislature party.

While EPS congratulated Vijay on becoming Chief Minister and urged the Speaker to provide adequate time to all Opposition parties in the Assembly, Velumani too congratulated Vijay and appealed to the Speaker to follow Assembly traditions practised during Jayalalithaa’s tenure as Chief Minister.

The question of who officially becomes the AIADMK Legislative Assembly Leader is now expected to be decided after a crucial party general meeting, adding another layer of suspense to the unfolding crisis.

From Opposition Party To TVK Support

The crisis deepened dramatically after a faction led by Shanmugam publicly extended support to Vijay’s government ahead of the floor test in the Assembly.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the 234-member Assembly with 108 seats but remained short of the majority mark. Vijay eventually formed the government with support from Congress, Left parties, the VCK and the IUML.

However, the political shocker came when nearly 30 AIADMK MLAs reportedly backed Vijay’s government, significantly weakening the visible strength of the EPS camp.

“The people’s mandate is specifically for Vijay to become Chief Minister. We respect the people’s verdict and extend our wholehearted support to the TVK government,” Shanmugam said.

He also announced that former minister SP Velumani had been elected Assembly Leader of the AIADMK legislature party, while G Hari was chosen as deputy leader. Former minister C Vijayabaskar was named party whip.

At the same time, Shanmugam attempted to avoid an outright split narrative by insisting that EPS remained the party’s general secretary and leader.

DMK Alliance Claim Triggers Political Explosion

At the heart of the rebellion is Shanmugam’s explosive allegation that EPS explored the possibility of forming a government with the support of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

According to Shanmugam, the majority of legislators opposed the proposal outright.

“AIADMK was founded to uproot the DMK, which we consider an evil force in Tamil Nadu. Aligning with the DMK would destroy the party,” he said.

The comments struck at the ideological core of the AIADMK, founded by M. G. Ramachandran as a political alternative to the DMK.

Shanmugam further claimed that the AIADMK was currently not aligned with any alliance, including the BJP-led NDA, and that the majority of MLAs wanted the party to contest future elections independently.

AIADMK Leadership Hits Back

Even as Shanmugam insisted there was “no split” in the party, the AIADMK leadership launched a fierce counterattack through an official post on X, accusing rebel leaders of betrayal and opportunism.

In the strongly-worded statement, the party dismissed media reports around a DMK alliance and accused the rebel camp of secretly approaching the ruling TVK for ministerial positions.

The AIADMK leadership also questioned the rebels over their alleged private meeting with DMK leader V Senthil Balaji and asserted that no individual MLAs had the authority to decide alliance strategies for the party.

The post aggressively defended EPS, declaring that the movement belonged to party workers and not “a few assembly members.”

“It is Edappadiyar who built and preserved this movement. This movement is not the plaything of a few assembly members. It is the workers’ movement,” the party said.

The statement also highlighted that over 1.34 crore votes were cast for the AIADMK alliance and accused the rebel faction of abandoning party workers, as well as allies like the BJP, PMK and AMMK, merely to remain close to power.

Vijay At The Centre Of Tamil Nadu’s New Political Order

In another sign of the rapidly shifting political equations, Chief Minister Vijay is scheduled to meet several key political leaders in Chennai on Tuesday.

The meetings include Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, and notably, both EPS and SP Velumani separately, underlining Vijay’s central position in the state’s evolving political landscape.

The separate meetings with rival AIADMK camps have only intensified speculation that TVK may attempt to maintain working ties with multiple factions within the opposition as the party consolidates power.

A Party At Crossroads

The latest developments have reinforced concerns about AIADMK’s long-term political future in the post-Jayalalithaa era.

Since 2016, the party has struggled with repeated factional battles, leadership uncertainty and declining electoral dominance. Now, with Vijay’s TVK emerging as a powerful new political force capable of disrupting Tamil Nadu’s traditional DMK-AIADMK binary, the AIADMK faces perhaps its toughest existential challenge yet.

For now, all camps continue to publicly deny a formal split. But from rival seating arrangements in the Assembly to competing claims over legislative leadership and open attacks on fellow party leaders, the cracks inside the AIADMK are no longer hidden.