AIADMK faction extends support to TVK government in Tamil Nadu

A faction of the AIADMK led by senior leaders C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani on Tuesday announced its decision to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam TVKled government headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph VijayAddressing reporters in Chennai Shanmugam said the faction would meet Chief Minister Vijay later in the day to formally submit a letter extending support to the newly formed governmentThe development comes amid growing signs of an internal split within the AIADMK following the partyrsquos performance in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly electionsShanmugam says AIADMK cannot align with DMKShanmugam alleged that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami was exploring the possibility of forming a government with support from the DMK a move he claimed was strongly opposed by a majority within the partyAccording to Shanmugam the AIADMK was founded to oppose the DMK and any alliance with the ruling party would weaken the organisation politicallyHe said party members believed that joining hands with the DMK could damage the AIADMKrsquos identity and longterm political relevance in Tamil NaduShanmugam further stated that the faction decided to support the TVK government because the party had secured a clear mandate in the Assembly electionsAIADMK faction claims majority support among MLAsThe senior AIADMK leader claimed that the majority of AIADMK MLAs had backed resolutions passed during an internal meeting of legislatorsAccording to him the MLAs resolved that the AIADMK should contest future elections independently without entering into alliancesHe also announced key appointments within the Assembly wing of the party naming S P Velumani as the AIADMK Assembly leader and C Vijayabaskar as the party whipShanmugam said the faction had already submitted the necessary documents and leadership details to the Protem SpeakerLeaders seek internal review after electoral setbacksReflecting on the partyrsquos recent electoral losses Shanmugam said AIADMK leaders collectively accepted responsibility for the setbacks and called for an internal assessment of the reasons behind the defeatsHe urged Palaniswami to convene a meeting of the AIADMK general council at the earliest to discuss the partyrsquos future strategy and organisational issuesAccording to Shanmugam the party leadership needs to consult all sections of the organisation to understand the reasons behind repeated electoral losses and rebuild the party structureHe added that further discussions among party leaders and MLAs would continue later in the dayAIADMK faces uncertainty after Tamil Nadu pollsThe latest developments indicate deepening divisions within the AIADMK following the Assembly election results in Tamil NaduThe AIADMK secured 47 seats in the elections while the TVK emerged victorious and formed the government under the leadership of VijayThe announcement by the Shanmugamled faction is expected to intensify political activity within the AIADMK and could have implications for the partyrsquos future organisational structure and opposition strategy in the state AssemblyWith inputs from PTI and ANI