Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 14 : All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader CV Shanmugam on Wednesday addressed concerns regarding increased security at the party's headquarters, asserting that dedicated workers would never desecrate the premises.
He emphasised that the cadres view the office as a sacred space and will maintain its sanctity regardless of the ongoing political situation.
Speaking to reporters, AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam said, "We hear that security has been increased in the AIADMK head office. We want to tell you all one thing: this is AIADMK blood. We are common people who were made MPs and MLAs by the AIADMK party. AIADMK Head Office is seen as a temple by our cadres. We will not go to our party's head office. We, in a legal way, after proving that we are real cadres of AIADMK, will set foot in the AIADMK head office. Nobody needs to fear."
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the internal crisis within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) deepened as senior leader and MLA CV Shanmugam mounted a sharp attack on party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), accusing him of presiding over "continuous defeats," weakening the organisation and expelling dissenting voices, even as the party faced mounting factional tensions and disciplinary action against rebel MLAs.
The development comes amid a political churn within the AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where reports of internal dissent and factional divisions have intensified. The situation has been further complicated by allegations of support extended by a section of party MLAs to the ruling TVK government during a floor test, triggering disciplinary action from the EPS-led leadership and widening cracks within the party.
Speaking on the party's electoral trajectory, Shanmugam said the AIADMK has been witnessing a steady decline since the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2016.
"The defeat faced by the AIADMK in the recently concluded Assembly elections must be discussed. We need to deliberate and analyse the reasons behind these continuous defeats," he said.
Shanmugam further claimed that as many as 26 party functionaries had been removed from organisational posts, raising questions over the internal decision-making process.
"As of 8 PM, a total of 26 of our party functionaries have been sacked from party posts," he said.
Invoking the legacy of AIADMK founders MGR and Jayalalithaa, Shanmugam said the party's core ideology had been diluted. "The basic policy of AIADMK is diluted by Edapadi Palani Sami," he said, adding that the founding mission of the party was to defeat the DMK.
Meanwhile, the EPS-led faction initiated disciplinary action against those accused of defying party whip during the floor test. Several leaders were removed from organisational posts, including senior functionaries such as S P Velumani, CV Shanmugam, and C Vijayabaskar.
Natham Viswanathan was also removed from the posts of AIADMK Deputy General Secretary and Dindigul East District Secretary, while C V Shanmugam was stripped of his roles as Organising Secretary and Villupuram District Secretary.
The faction also submitted a petition to the Assembly Secretary seeking action against 25 MLAs who allegedly voted in favour of the TVK government, accusing them of violating the party whip.
The intensifying infighting within AIADMK, coupled with sharp exchanges between rival political camps, has further escalated the political temperature in Tamil Nadu, with questions now being raised over party unity and leadership control ahead of future electoral battles.