In the AIADMK, the MLAs functioning as a separate faction under the leadership of C.V. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani have been creating a stir day after day... and the AIADMK members led by Edappadi Palaniswami have been hitting back at C.V. Shanmugam’s camp. In this situation, we put our questions to former AIADMK minister K.T. Rajendra Balaji, who is a supporter of Edappadi Palaniswami...
"Is it the faction led by C.V. Shanmugam that has been raising a rebellious voice from within the party, saying that Edappadi Palaniswami’s unilateral decisions are the reason for the AIADMK’s successive defeats?"
“Even those who are speaking against Edappadiyar today know very well that all the decisions he took during the election were correct. They are complaining by dragging in things that do not exist, just because they feel they must find fault.
Since Vijay, a newcomer, has entered the political arena, people voted for him with the mindset of, ‘Let’s see how his performance is.’ But today, the administration of TVK is being run in a way that is proving all of the people’s expectations wrong.
“Anyone who has now left the A.I.A.D.M.K. and joined T.V.K. can see from old news reports how they once praised Edappadiyar.”
“Edappadiyar, who toured across Tamil Nadu against the D.M.K. government in the 2026 election, held alliance talks with the same D.M.K. after the election. Isn’t that why we supported T.V.K., as the opposition says?”
" ‘If these two join together, they can form a government. This may happen; that may happen’ — someone outside the party may have said this. But those who twist this into a lie and throw mud at Edappadiyar are, in effect, pouring acid on the very roots of the party.
Because in this election, the AIADMK alliance has received a total of one and a quarter crore votes. These are votes given by the people so that Edappadiyar should become Chief Minister. Those who oppose him today — are they capable enough to go to the field, meet the people, and win this many votes?
They may all be party functionaries or leaders at the district level. But the undeniable truth is that if there is one leader who can be spoken of across Tamil Nadu, it is only Edappadiyar. No one can change that. If anyone tries to undermine this position, people like me will be there to stop it.”
“But hasn’t S.P. Velumani said things like, ‘Why should we meet Edappadiyar? What connection do he and we have? This is the party we built’?”
“The AIADMK is our party, the party we built,” he says, and that is a feeling rooted in his sense of ownership. No one can deny that. But if he says that what we say in the party is the law, that is wrong.
Because Edappadi did not become general secretary just because a few commanders in the AIADMK decided so.
He was elected general secretary only because everyone—from the AIADMK city secretaries, union branch secretaries, election branch secretaries, district branch secretaries, team office-bearers, and workers from Kanyakumari district to Gummidipoondi—gave their unanimous support.”
“If AIADMK women office-bearers criticize Edappadiyar, C.V. Shanmugam says the party leadership itself is instigating them to defame him?”
“I have held various positions in the party, including district secretary and state organizing secretary. Until now, the general secretary has never contacted us and, in any situation, said even a single word like, ‘Speak like this.’
If a few people here and there express opinions, those are their own personal views. Otherwise, the party leadership has never told anyone to ‘speak in a degrading manner.’”
"There are a series of allegations being leveled against Edappadi Palaniswami that he refuses to listen to party members’ views and is hesitant to bring back those who left the party into the party fold?"
"The claim that the General Secretary refuses to listen to party members’ views is false. If those who have something to say speak up, he is in a position to listen. Those who are criticizing Edappadi today were the very people who stood behind all the decisions Edappadi made in the past. Therefore, no AIADMK worker will accept anything they say today.
Even during Amma’s (Jayalalithaa’s) time, there were leaders who left the party when it faced defeat. There is also a history of those very people later submitting apology letters to Amma and rejoining the party. But under no circumstances did party workers blame Amma (Jayalalithaa)!"