Ahead of the crucial floor test in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday, chief minister and TVK supremo Vijay met rebel AIADMK leaders CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani on Tuesday, reports India Today.
The meeting assumes greater political significance as the faction enjoys the backing of 30 MLAs and announced that it would extend its support to the TVK in tomorrow’s show of strength.
After the assembly session was held for the first time Tuesday, Vijay visited the offices of several parties, which extended their support to the TVK-led government. He was seen arriving at the office of the Indian Union of Muslim League a few hours after the session. From there, he headed to meet both Shanmugam and Velumani.
Dressed in a black suit and white shirt, Vijay arrived at a local party office of AIADMK, where both Shanmugam and Velumani were present with several AIADMK leaders.
As soon as Vijay stepped out of his car, the leaders greeted him with flower bouquets and later felicitated him by wrapping stoles around his neck. Several leaders were seen interacting with Vijay as well.
From there, Vijay soon rushed to the Congress party office, where Congress leaders greeted him with loud cheers and joy. Vijay was seen in a very light mood, interacting with several leaders.
As uncertainties gripped Tamil Nadu’s political arena right after the 2026 election, AIADMK went through one of the greatest crises in its more than five-decade-long political trajectory.
It all began with Shanmugam and Velumani advocating for backing Vijay’s TVK, which produced a stunner in the state election, winning 108 of 234 seats. However, the party fell short of the majority mark by 10 seats, and encashing the opportunity, the rebel faction announced that they were ready to support Vijay with 30 MLAs.
The idea was immediately disapproved of by the party’s general secretary, Palaniswami, igniting a rift in the AIADMK camp. The 30 MLAs openly expressed their dissatisfaction over Palaniswami’s leadership, citing major political setbacks in the last four elections (2019, 2021, 2024, and 2026). Possibilities emerged that the party might witness a split in the near future.
However, on Tuesday, Shanmugam dismissed reports of a rift within the AIADMK and said he had no intention of splitting the party.
