Chennai: Political tensions have escalated in Tamil Nadu as the AIADMK appears to be heading for a split after a faction of the party supports Chief Minister
"Thalapathy" Vijay in the floor test. On Tuesday, Vijay visited the officeof AIADMK MLA CV Shanmugam and met rebel leaders of the party. According to reports, the rebel faction enjoys the support of 30 AIADMK MLAs. The rebel camp is reportedly led by MLAs SP Velumani and Shanmugam. These MLAs are opposing Edappadi Palaniswami's leadership after the setback in the assembly polls. Shanmugam had earlier in the day said that he would give a letter to Vijay extending support to the TVK government.
VIDEO | Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay meets AIADMK Leaders.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 12, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/FKfmoUmzys
"We decided to extend our support to the TVK, which emerged victorious," Shanmugam said. "We founded this party against DMK. For 53 years, our politics have been against the DMK. Given this history, a proposal suggesting that an AIADMK government be formed with the support of the DMK was put forward; however, the majority of our members rejected and opposed it. If we were to form an alliance with the DMK, the AIADMK would cease to exist," h added.
The rebel AIADMK said that the majority of the party MLAs refused to accept an alliance with the DMK. "We currently stand without any alliance, and our focus must now be on revitalising and strengthening our own party. We ultimately decided to extend our support to the TVK, which emerged victorious," he stated.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam says, "...We decided to extend our support to the TVK, which emerged victorious."
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2026
"We founded this party against DMK. For 53 years, our politics have been against the DMK. Given this history, a proposal suggesting that an AIADMK… pic.twitter.com/pNiCWcDyQI
The floor test is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
Pressure On Palaniswami:
The pressure is mounting on Palaniswami after AIADMK's poll debacle as senior leaders and former ministers are reportedly questioning his leadership. A faction led by senior leaders KP Munusamy and Thalavai N Sundaram is supporting Palaniswami.
How Are Numbers Stacked Up In Tamil Nadu Assembly?
After days of uncertainty, multiple meetings with the governor and intense backroom negotiations, Vijay managed to secure enough support from smaller parties to cross the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.
Also Read: ‘People’s Person’: Vijay’s Wholesome Interaction With MDMK Chief’s Domestic Helps Wins Hearts
However, with a crucial floor test scheduled for Wednesday, the new chief minister must now prove that his numbers hold on the Assembly floor. The floor test on Wednesday will formally determine whether the TVK government enjoys the confidence of the House. Given the razor-thin margins involved in the post-election arithmetic, every MLA’s vote has suddenly become politically decisive.
The TVK emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats. With the support to the Congress, the VCK and the Left parties, Vijay's party achieved the majority mark.
Just ahead of the confidence motion, the TVK suffered a setback after the Madras High Court restrained party MLA Seenivasa Sethupathy from participating in the trust vote until further orders. Sethupathy had won the Tirupattur Assembly constituency by a margin of just one vote against DMK leader and former minister KR Periyakaruppan.
The TVK now has the support of 117 MLAs, one short of the majority mark. However, with the support of 30 AIADMK MLAs, Vijay can prove a majority in the House.
