Bring Sasikala, TTV Dhinakaran back into AIADMK fold, SP Velumani Natham Viswanathan tell EPS

Chennai, August 9

Senior AIADMK leaders S.P. Velumani and Natham R. Viswanathan on Sunday urged party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) to bring V.K. Sasikala and T.T.V. Dhinakaran back into the party fold, calling for reconciliation to strengthen the organisation after a series of electoral setbacks.

In a joint statement, the two leaders launched a strong attack on Palaniswami’s leadership, alleging that several unilateral decisions on alliances and electoral strategy had weakened the AIADMK and caused disappointment among party functionaries and cadres.

They accused Palaniswami of failing to capitalise on an opportunity to forge an alliance with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election. They also alleged that following the election, he attempted to negotiate with the DMK over government formation without adequately consulting senior leaders.

Velumani and Viswanathan claimed differences over the party’s post-election strategy had led to serious internal divisions, with 25 of the AIADMK’s 47 MLAs opposing decisions they believed were inconsistent with the political legacy of party founder M.G. Ramachandran and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Reviewing the AIADMK’s electoral performance in recent years, the leaders alleged that Palaniswami had rejected efforts to accommodate Dhinakaran ahead of the 2021 Assembly election despite discussions initiated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They claimed O. Panneerselvam had supported such an arrangement.

They also criticised the handling of alliances during the 2024 Lok Sabha election, alleging that efforts to revive ties with the BJP were rejected without sufficient consultation. They said delays in reaching an understanding with the PMK further weakened the party’s electoral prospects.

Calling for immediate corrective measures, Velumani and Viswanathan said the AIADMK leadership should open talks with estranged leaders, particularly Sasikala and Dhinakaran, and pursue reconciliation to reunite and rebuild the party.