Rift in AIADMK widens, more party offices locked across Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The split within AIADMK widened and percolated to the grassroots across Tamil Nadu as more party offices got locked and brought under a security ring, as cadres of both factions attempt to take over the offices.

After Villupuram, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai and Karur, an AIADMK office in Dindigul was locked to prevent a clash between the supporters of Edappadi K Palaniswami and the rival camp led by former ministers S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugham.

The split in Dindigul has brought two party heavyweights — former ministers Natham Viswanathan and Dindigul Srinivasan — into a direct fight for control of the district unit after EPS removed several functionaries aligned with the rebel faction. While Viswanathan has joined the rebel faction, Srinivasan backs EPS.

Viswanathan's supporters sought police protection to enter the party office while Srinivasan's camp opposed the move, resulting in police preventing both from entering the office.

Srinivasan later held a meeting with supporters and said the AIADMK general council unanimously accepted EPS as the general secretary and that he is the party chief. Asked about the rebel MLAs, Srinivasan said law would take its own course in dealing with them. Asked about his views on the possibility of rebel MLAs getting disqualified, Srinivasan said there was no other option. "We have to stick to the law," he said.

Amidst the tension, the Velumani-Shanmugham camp on Sunday intensified efforts to convene an emergency AIADMK general council meeting. Their supporters have been collecting signatures from general council and executive committee members across districts and claim to have already secured signatures from more than 1,000 members. They plan to submit the petition to EPS within the next few days, seeking an urgent meeting of the general council.

The EPS faction, which has sought action against the 25 MLAs for allegedly violating the party whip, has also mounted its attack on the rebel camp. AIADMK MP Dhanapal said, "If the Speaker fails to act within three months, the faction would move court to seek disqualification of the rebel MLAs. Through the court, the posts of those 25 MLAs will be stripped. There will be an election again. In that election, whomever Edappadi K Palaniswami identifies will have the opportunity to become an MLA again and sit in this assembly."