All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam removes CV Shanmugam, others from party posts amid trust vote fallout

The internal crisis within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam escalated sharply on Wednesday.

After party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami removed several senior leaders from key organisational posts following cross-voting during the Tamil Nadu Assembly trust vote.

Among those stripped of their responsibilities were prominent leaders S. P. Velumani and C. V. Shanmugam, both of whom openly supported the government led by actor-turned-politician Vijay during the crucial floor test. In total, 29 party functionaries, including 13 sitting MLAs, were removed from various posts such as district secretary positions.

Senior leaders including R. Kamaraj, C. Vijayabaskar, P. Thangamani, K. P. Anbazhagan, K. C. Veeramani and M. R. Vijayabhaskar also faced disciplinary action as the party leadership moved swiftly to crack down on dissent.

The action came soon after 25 AIADMK MLAs voted in favour of the confidence motion moved by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government. The support from the rebel faction played a major role in helping Vijay comfortably win the trust vote in the 234-member Assembly.

The TVK-led alliance, which had earlier fallen short of the majority mark despite emerging as the single-largest formation with 108 seats, secured backing from the Congress, Left parties, IUML and the dissident AIADMK camp to cross the required numbers on the Assembly floor.

The Assembly session witnessed dramatic scenes after Palaniswami alleged that attempts had been made to lure AIADMK legislators with money and ministerial positions in exchange for supporting the TVK government. Declaring that the official AIADMK stand was to oppose the motion, the former chief minister asserted that all party MLAs would vote against Vijay’s government.

However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Speaker J. C. D. Prabhakar allowed Velumani to address the House immediately after Palaniswami’s speech. Defying the party leadership in full public view, Velumani announced support for the confidence motion, saying the decision was taken in line with the people’s mandate.

The rebellion intensified further after the trust vote when Shanmugam launched a direct attack on Palaniswami, accusing him of abandoning the AIADMK’s traditional anti-DMK political identity.

According to Shanmugam, there had long been demands within the party to reunite expelled leaders and strengthen the organisation ahead of future elections, but the leadership had ignored those calls. Rejecting accusations of betrayal, he claimed the current leadership had itself deviated from the party’s founding principles.

The open revolt has now exposed deep divisions within the AIADMK, turning what was once internal dissatisfaction into a full-scale political confrontation. The developments have triggered fresh questions over the party’s unity, leadership structure and its future role in Tamil Nadu politics.

With a section of AIADMK leaders openly backing Vijay’s government, the political equations in the state could witness a major shift in the coming months, especially if the divide within the opposition continues to widen.