Shanmugam-led AIADMK faction backs Vijay's government in Tamil Nadu
What's the story
A faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), led by rebel MLA CV Shanmugam, has extended support to actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu. Various reports peg the strength of the faction between 30 and 36 MLAs. The decision comes after the recent Assembly elections, where TVK emerged as the major player, winning 108 seats in the 234-member House but initially falling short of a majority.
People's mandate
'People's mandate is for Vijay to be CM'
Shanmugam, addressing a press conference in Chennai, stressed that the people's mandate was for Vijay to be the Chief Minister. "The mandate is specifically for Vijay to become the Chief Minister... To honor that mandate, we wholeheartedly congratulate Chief Minister Vijay," he said. He also clarified that his faction had no plans of splitting from AIADMK but was unhappy with reports of a possible alliance between DMK and AIADMK against TVK.
Alliance rejection
Supporting DMK would be betrayal, says Shanmugam
Shanmugam also rejected any possibility of supporting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to form a government. He said such a move would betray their core ideology and dislodge TVK from power in Tamil Nadu. "If we were to form an alliance with the DMK, the AIADMK would cease to exist," he said. The faction also elected SP Velumani as Floor Leader and G Hari as Deputy Leader of their legislative party.
Electoral performance
AIADMK's recent electoral performance
The AIADMK has faced electoral setbacks in recent years, winning only 47 of 234 Assembly seats in the April 23 election. In the 2021 elections, it lost power to a DMK-led alliance, winning just 75 seats. The party also won only one of 39 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 polls and none in the 2024 parliamentary election. Despite these challenges, Shanmugam's faction remains committed to revitalizing its party and extending its full support to the TVK government.