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Ahead of Wednesday’s (May 13, 2026) level trial successful the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay connected Tuesday (May 12, 2026) called connected rebel AIADMK leaders led by erstwhile Ministers S.P. Velumani and C.Ve. Shanmugam hours aft they announced enactment to his ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Earlier, successful the Assembly, recently elected Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, allowed Mr. Velumani besides to talk instantly aft AIADMK wide caput Edappadi K. Palaniswami delivered a abbreviated code congratulating the Speaker connected his election.
Tamil Nadu authorities LIVE: Follow updates, highlights connected May 12, 2026
In the morning, the rebels declared Mr. Velumani arsenic the “AIADMK Legislature Party leader”. Mr. Palaniswami’s supporters, however, said helium was the person of the Legislature Party. The AIADMK led by Mr. Palaniswami would ballot against the assurance question to beryllium moved by the TVK government, elder person O.S. Manian said.
In an interrogation with The Hindu, the Speaker acknowledged that helium got abstracted representations from some sides (on the predetermination of Legislature Party leader).
Mr. Vijay, who continued his outreach to assorted governmental enactment leaders for the 2nd consecutive day, went to Mr. Shanmugam’s location successful Chennai successful the afternoon.
Earlier, Mr. Shanmugam accused Mr. Palaniswami of having attempted to signifier a authorities with arch rival DMK’s enactment pursuing the fractured mandate successful the Assembly election. “This was a daze to us,” helium told journalists. Since the AIADMK was established to reason the DMK, and its authorities revolved astir this for 53 years, immoderate determination to collaborate with its rival would pb to “the party’s disappearance,” helium said. Therefore, it was resolved to widen enactment to the TVK.
Mr. Shanmugam and Mr. Velumani said the reasons for the party’s back-to-back electoral setbacks indispensable beryllium analysed. “We person requested the wide caput to convene a gathering of the wide assembly arsenic aboriginal arsenic possible,” Mr. Shanmugam said adding, “we are nary longer successful immoderate pre-poll alliance”.
Mr. Velumani requested the media not to dispersed rumours that his radical was seeking to make a divided successful the party. “Elders of galore of america were with the enactment since the motorboat of the organisation,” helium pointed out.
The radical said G. Hari (Tiruttani MLA) was elected the lawman leader; C. Vijayabhaskar (former Minister), the whip; and Kamaraj, the secretary.
However, AIADMK elder person O.S. Manian, a protagonist of Mr. Palaniswami, accused Mr. Shanmugam of spreading mendacious accusation and attempting to lure MLAs. While helium claimed that each 47 AIADMK legislators had signed a missive electing Mr. Palaniswami arsenic the Legislature Party leader, presently, 26 members were connected his side. “The signatures of each members supporting Mr. Palaniswami proves the AIADMK remains united. The tendency to go Ministers oregon clasp almighty positions is what is driving specified statements (from rebels). While the media says they [rebels] person 30 MLAs and we person 17, we really person 26 members with us,” Mr. Manian told journalists astatine the Secretariat.
Pointing retired nether Mr. Palaniswami’s enactment assorted challenges were flooded and the ‘Two Leaves’ awesome reclaimed (it was frozen pursuing a divided aft Jayalalithaa’s death), helium said successful the election, the NDA secured astir 1.34 crore votes.
Mr. Manian dismissed arsenic “entirely baseless” Mr. Shanmugam’s assertion of confederation talks with the DMK. The rebels were driven by a tendency to go Ministers, helium alleged.
Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy, who was appointed whip by Mr. Palaniswami, said, “As per the directions of the wide secretary, we volition ballot against the Motion of Confidence. All members person been informed. Legal enactment volition beryllium initiated against anyone who cross-votes.”
