AIADMK Leader Palaniswami Confident Party Will Return To Power

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami declared on Saturday that the party will rise again like a mythical phoenix and capture power in Tamil Nadu. The 55th founding day of the party was celebrated at the AIADMK headquarters located in Royapettah.

Ceremony and Book Launch

Mr. Palaniswami arrived at the headquarters to pay floral tributes to the statues of former Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa. Several former Ministers attended the event, including C. Ponnaiyan, K.P. Munusamy, Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, and B. Valarmathi. After paying respects, Mr. Palaniswami hoisted the party flag and released a book titled Dravidian Phoenix. He noted that both MGR and Jayalalithaa faced many trials while in power and outside of it, which inspires the party's future.

Political Row Over Readmissions

Following the event, former Minister Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy spoke to reporters and criticized remarks made by former Minister S.P. Velumani regarding readmitting members who split from the party. Mr. Velumani had suggested in Coimbatore that O. Panneerselvam should be readmitted into the movement. Mr. Krishnamurthy questioned how someone who left the AIADMK and won on the DMK symbol could be taken back. He also stated that such remarks imply a potential willingness to readmit leaders like S. Muthusamy, S. Regupathy, and P.K. Sekarbabu. Regarding T.T.V. Dhinakaran, Mr. Krishnamurthy mentioned he functions as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by Mr. Palaniswami, and claimed Mr. Velumani expressed these views out of malice.

Past Alliance Disagreements

Mr. Krishnamurthy also addressed comments by Mr. Velumani about the 2024 Parliamentary elections, where Mr. Velumani claimed an alliance with the BJP could have secured four Cabinet berths. Mr. Krishnamurthy pointed out that when Mr. Palaniswami asked for opinions on a BJP alliance, Mr. Velumani was actually the first person to oppose the tie-up.

Context

Regional political parties in Tamil Nadu frequently experience internal leadership struggles, factional splits, and shifting alliance strategies ahead of elections. Founding day events often serve as platforms for top leaders to rally party workers and project unity despite ongoing internal disagreements.