The political scene of Tamil Nadu took a strange turn Tuesday with a faction of AIADMK led by senior leaders CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani publicly backing CM Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. The announcement, made in Chennai, has raised fresh questions about whether the move is one of strategic realignment or opportunist politics in the AIADMK.
The faction also said that it was withdrawing from any association with the DMK and at the same time breaking away from its previous stance of being part of the BJP-led NDA.
Why is Shanmugam camp shunning DMK politics?
According to CV Shanmugam, the ideological basis upon which the AIADMK was founded was in direct opposition to the DMK. He went on to say that the idea of forming or supporting a government with the help of the DMK would essentially wipe out the political identity of the AIADMK.
He said that a majority of AIADMK MLAs opposed the idea of backing the DMK and that it would require a new look within the party ranks. The faction also said that staying true to ideological principles was more important than short-term political benefits.
Watch:
#WATCH | Chennai | AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam says, “We accept the people’s mandate. The people’s mandate is not for TVK. The mandate is for Chief Minister Vijay. The mandate is for Vijay to become the Chief Minister. We congratulate Chief Minister Vijay and we extend our support… pic.twitter.com/LBnvgDOMHR
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2026
Why AIADMK keeping distance from NDA alliance politics?
The announcement has raised questions about what is the future of the AIADMK in the NDA alliance. The Shanmugam faction has said that it is not affiliated with NDA politics any longer and seems to be withdrawing from the BJP.
This has led to a question in Tamil Nadu politics: Should AIADMK drifting away from BJP imply we may see an erosion of NDA’s presence in the state?
Why is Vijay’s TVK becoming new ‘power’ epicentre?
The support to TVK from the faction is being seen as a big nod to CM Vijay’s growing stature. The breakaway faction leaders said TVK is a growing stronger and more stable power in Tamil Nadu politics than the status quo and alliance politics.
They also said, AIADMK after recent electoral losses is divided and weakened and needs a new political direction rather than depending on status quo alliance politics.
AIADMK experiencing its biggest split since Jayalalithaa’s regime
The internal rifts in AIADMK seem to have deepened sharply after the death of the legendary J. Jayalalithaa. The splits from Shanmugam faction are being seen as one of biggest visible splits of AIADMK in the recent years, which shows internal rifts with the party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS)
Shanmugam has also accused EPS of considering various political options including alliance with DMK which was repudiated in cadres.
Is BJP losing its southern hold?
The bigger issue now is how this development would affect the strength of the BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK has been a major partner of NDA in Tamil Nadu, and any fissure in such an alliance would be a blow to the coalition.
With one group moving towards TVK and becoming hostile to NDA politics, questions are now being asked if BJP’s political relevance in Tamil Nadu has been hurt in the long run.
Will Vijay change Dravidian political paradigm?
With CM Vijay consolidating power in TVK, his rising popularity among the political factions in the state is becoming increasingly evident. The AIADMK split introduces another player in the political scenario of Tamil Nadu, and new leadership and shifting loyalties could mean a change in the Dravidian political order in the next few years. For now, one question is at the center of Tamil Nadu politics: is Tamil Nadu seeing the genesis of a new power core led by Vijay with old alliances gradually weakening?
