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India politics: 2 Tamil Nadu former ministers bolt AIADMK to join Vijay's TVK
SP Velumani and CV Shanmugam broke from the party on Tuesday. They accused AIADMK secretary general Edappadi K. Palaniswami of taking the help of rival DMK to form a government
- PUBLISHED: Tue 12 May 2026, 7:28 PM
A faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), led by two former ministers, broke from the party and extended their support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government on Tuesday. They accused Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), the AIADMK general secretary of taking the help of its rival DMK to form a government.
TVK leader C. Joseph Vijay, meanwhile, delivered his maiden speech in the state assembly on Tuesday, urging the house to treat all parties equally. “All are equal here. Be it a party that has one elected member or the members from the TVK, who constitute the highest count, all must be treated equally,” he said.
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“The House should function as the heart and brain, by accepting good thoughts and rejecting those that are not. Good values, such as respecting human beings, should be instituted beyond politics. The Tamil culture must be hailed,” Vijay added.
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Vijay also met SP Velumani and CV Shanmugam, the two AIADMK rebels, who have the backing of 30 MLAs. “The AIADMK was founded to oppose the DMK,” said Shanmugam.
“For five decades, we fought against them politically. But EPS proposed forming a government with the DMK’s support and sought our backing to make him Chief Minister. None of the MLAs agreed to that idea. We were shocked," they added.
The AIADMK won 47 of the 164 seats in the state assembly. The TVK won 108 seats in the elections, and needs 118 legislators to ensure a majority. The Congress, the left parties and others have backed it. On Wednesday, the trust vote will take place in the assembly.
The new chief minister also directed his partymen not to place banners and posters of the party in public places. He also told them not to block traffic or disturb public places on birthdays or family events. The party warned workers that it would take strict action if anyone disturbs the public by putting up banners or celebrating events.
