Rift in AIADMK widens: Velumani challenges EPS’ leadership

In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK appears to be headed for a vertical split, with rival factions staking claim to the post of legislative party leader in the 17th state assembly. A larger group of 30  AIADMK MLAs have chosen P. Velumani as the leader of the AIADMK legislature party and C. Vijaya Bhaskar as whip. They met the Pro term Speaker Karuppaiah and gave the letter containing their signatures. Another group of 17 MLAs has elected Edappadi Palanisamy as the leader of the Legislative Party. 
Soon after the newly elected MLAs took oath on Monday, AIADMK general secretary E. Palaniswami submitted a letter to pro-tem speaker M V Karuppaiah seeking his recognition as leader of the legislature party and Thalavai Sundaram as party whip. Later, the faction led by C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani, submitted separate representations to the pro-tem speaker to recognise Velumani as legislative party leader and C Vijayabaskar as whip. Sources in AIADMK said that eyeing a tie-up with TVK, the Velumani-Shanmugam camp is trying to get the support of at least 32 MLAs to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.
"There is a plan to remove Edappadi K Palaniswami from the post of general secretary," a source said. In this Assembly session, the new Government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has to prove the majority on or before Wednesday. The latest crisis marks the third major split in AIADMK's history. The first followed the death of former chief minister M G Ramachandran in 1987, when the party split between factions led by his widow Janaki Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. The second major rupture came after Jayalalithaa's death, when former chief minister O Panneerselvam rebelled in 2017 before eventually being expelled from the party in 2022