AIADMK faction war intensifies as EPS, Shanmugam camps clash over party offices

A rift within the AIADMK deepened on Saturday as factions loyal to Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and senior leader CV Shanmugam clashed outside party offices in Villupuram and Cuddalore, triggering police intervention and chaos.

In Villupuram, tensions escalated after newly appointed District Secretary Pasupathi attempted to enter the AIADMK party office. Members of the CV Shanmugam faction opposed his entry and staged a protest, leading to a push-and-pull situation between the two groups.

Pasupathi’s supporters sought police protection and demanded access to the party office keys, while the rival faction blocked the entrance by parking vehicles outside the premises.

Police intervened at the spot and denied entry to both factions to prevent the situation from worsening.

A similar confrontation unfolded at the AIADMK office in Cuddalore, where the CV Shanmugam faction locked the office gates amid the ongoing power struggle within the party. Supporters of the EPS faction later broke open the lock with a hammer and entered the office, further intensifying the internal conflict.

The latest clashes come just two days after supporters of the faction led by EPS broke open the lock of the AIADMK party office in Karur and entered the premises, triggering a ruckus and exposing the widening factional divide within the party.

The confrontation in Karur erupted after former minister and Karur MLA MR Vijayabaskar, who supports the faction led by SP Velumani, was removed from his party post by EPS. Palaniswami replaced him with Kamalakannan as the new Karur District Secretary.

The political tension escalated after 27 AIADMK MLAs led by Velumani voted in support of the TVK party in the Assembly. Following the vote, EPS removed several leaders from party posts and announced new district secretaries, effectively splitting the AIADMK into two factions, one led by Palaniswami and the other by Velumani.