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Shanmugam's Claims on Palaniswami and the AIADMK Leadership

Thursday, May 14, 2026
5 min read
Shanmugam's Claims on Palaniswami and the AIADMK Leadership

Shanmugam claimed Palaniswami completely ignored advice from the senior leaders. Advice to align with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam , or TVK , before the elections.

This came right after Shanmugam was removed from his party post. The fallout is clearly deep.

He spoke to reporters, trying to make some point. He said Palaniswami dismissed internal suggestions. He relied on a survey. A survey that predicted a win for the AIADMK .

“When we shared our opinion,” Shanmugam said. “We should join hands with TVK before the elections. He did not listen. He asked us— ‘What do you know, brother? I know. I have taken survey. We will win 200 seats.’ None of us till date have seen the survey he was referring to.”

That quote hangs there. It’s a sharp accusation. It suggests a deliberate disconnect. A feeling of being sidelined.

This whole thing is happening in the middle of real chaos inside the AIADMK . Things were already boiling over. Palaniswami had been pushing hard. Expelling a bunch of rebel leaders. SP Velumani , C Ve Shanmugam , C Vijayabaskar . All were tossed out of their party positions. The reason? Defying the leadership during that Assembly confidence motion earlier that day.

This was a dramatic floor test. Twenty-five AIADMK legislators, from the Velumani-Shanmugam faction, voted for the TVK government. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was leading the charge there.

The reaction from Palaniswami was swift. He announced the removal of twenty-six leaders from all party posts. Immediate effect. New district secretaries were put in their places. A clean sweep, almost.

But Shanmugam didn’t buy that move. He rejected it outright. He called the action “invalid.” He went further. He accused EPS of running the party in a very authoritarian way.

“He has no power to sack us from party positions,” Shanmugam insisted. “This removal is not valid. He has no power. Nobody can stop us from attending the general body meeting of AIADMK .”

It’s a power struggle, plain and simple. Shanmugam felt cornered. He felt the machinery of the party was being used against them.

The senior leader went on, digging deeper into the alleged motive. He suggested Palaniswami had systematically weakened the party. By repeatedly expelling anyone who questioned his decisions. Instead of having real discussions. To strengthen the organization. It was just silencing dissent.

“If we did anything wrong,” Shanmugam added, voice laced with frustration. “As the General Secretary of the party, he should have talked to us and made the party grow further.

The TVK alliance factor. Shanmugam’s reference to the survey, even if contested, brings in a different layer.

It makes people wonder what the real objective is. Is it winning seats? Or is it simply consolidating power?

The narrative shifts from a simple political disaGreement to a story about leadership style.

It shows the limits of internal democracy in this context. This creates a dangerous dynamic.

Does it fracture further?

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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