Internal rift in AIADMK over supporting Vijay!

In a dramatic turn in Tamil Nadu’s post-election political developments, the AIADMK on Wednesday abruptly cancelled its scheduled meeting of newly-elected MLAs amid reports of sharp internal differences over extending support to the Vijay-led TVK government.

The development comes at a time when actor-politician Vijay’s TVK has emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly after winning 108 seats in its maiden electoral contest.

However, the party remains short of the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Assembly and requires the support of at least 12 more legislators to form a stable government.

As the single-largest party, the Governor is expected to invite TVK to form the government. Vijay, who is likely to be sworn in as Chief Minister, will then have to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly within the timeframe specified by the Governor.

With TVK contesting the elections independently and having no pre-poll allies, the party’s survival in power would depend heavily on support from parties in either the DMK or AIADMK camps.

Though TVK has not officially sought support from any political party, intense backchannel discussions are reportedly underway in Chennai.

Speculation over possible AIADMK support to Vijay gained momentum after reports surfaced that sections within the party were inclined to offer unconditional backing to the TVK in order to prevent the DMK from returning to power through any alternative arrangement.

Against this backdrop, the AIADMK had announced a meeting of its newly-elected MLAs in Chennai on Wednesday, where a major political decision was expected. However, the meeting was suddenly cancelled at the last minute, triggering widespread speculation over deepening divisions within the party leadership.

Political sources said the cancellation was linked to disagreements within the AIADMK over whether the party should support Vijay’s government.

While one section reportedly favours extending outside support to TVK, another group is said to be strongly opposed to any understanding with the fledgling party.

The internal turmoil has reportedly placed AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami under increasing pressure, with the party struggling to evolve a clear post-poll strategy after suffering a setback in the Assembly elections.

Observers believe the next few days will be crucial in determining whether Vijay can successfully secure the numbers required to form Tamil Nadu’s next government.