By AMIT KUMAR
AIADMK Rift Deepens After Vijay Surge: CVe Shanmugam Says Party Ignored Alliance With TVK
Chennai, May 20, 2026 — The stunning rise of actor-turned-Chief Minister Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is now exposing deep fractures within the AIADMK, with senior leader CVe Shanmugam publicly acknowledging the party’s prolonged decline and alleging that efforts to build an alliance with Vijay were ignored by the leadership.
Speaking to the media in Chennai, Shanmugam described the AIADMK’s electoral trajectory not as an isolated defeat but as a “continuous collapse” stretching back several election cycles.
“This is not just a defeat in this election. Since 2021, AIADMK has been facing continuous defeats — two parliamentary elections, two assembly elections and multiple bypolls,” he said.
The former minister warned that the party’s traditional vote bank was steadily eroding and called it a “major threat” to the future of the Dravidian outfit founded by MGR.
His remarks are politically significant because they amount to one of the strongest internal critiques yet of the party leadership after Vijay’s political earthquake reshaped Tamil Nadu politics.
Shanmugam claimed several leaders repeatedly urged the party leadership to review electoral setbacks, reunite expelled leaders and broaden the coalition base. According to him, these demands were rejected.
He alleged that a group of leaders had proposed outreach to former AIADMK leaders, including those who had exited the party, warning that without unity the party would struggle to return to power.
The most explosive claim, however, concerned Vijay’s TVK. Shanmugam said discussions were held from the TVK side regarding a possible alliance with AIADMK. “Everyone said we need a strong alliance. Leaders from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam spoke to us regarding an alliance. This can be denied, but that is the reality,” he said.
He accused the leadership of “ignoring” alliance overtures and pushing potential allies away through dismissive comments. The comments underscore the extent to which Vijay’s emergence has disrupted Tamil Nadu’s traditional political order. TVK’s rise not only displaced the DMK-led establishment but also appears to have triggered introspection and blame games within the opposition camp.
Shanmugam further criticised the leadership for refusing reconciliation efforts with former coordinator O. Panneerselvam (OPS), claiming even requests for ordinary membership restoration were turned down.
With Vijay occupying the anti-establishment space once seen as AIADMK’s strength, the party now faces a dual challenge: rebuilding internal unity and redefining its role in a post-Dravidian political landscape increasingly shaped by TVK.
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