Aiadmk

Shanmugam-led AIADMK faction backs Vijay-led TVK govt in Tamil Nadu

AIADMK faction led by senior MLAs S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam on Tuesday said that they have decided to support the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. Speaking to reporters, Shanmugam said they would be meeting CM Vijay this afternoon to provide a letter supporting his government. He also alleged that party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami wanted to form a government with the support of DMK. "We opposed his (Palaniswami) decision, since AIADMK was formed only to defeat DMK," he added. Shanmugam also demanded that Palaniswami should immediately convene the party's general council meeting. AIADMK won 47 seats in the recently held Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

Hung verdict in Tamil Nadu polls spark support talks for Vijay's TVK

In a changed political atmosphere in Tamil Nadu with no single political party having a simple majority to form the government post the Assembly election, opinion is divided among the allies led by the Dravidian majors in extending external support to Vijay-led TVK in government formation. Both the DMK and AIADMK are at unease as the Congress and also a section in the AIADMK express willingness to extend external support to Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagtam in forming the government. Post poll, the TVK's political prospects appear to impact alliances led by both the Dravidian majors in a different manner, triggering a speculation of a split. Leema Rose Martin, who won from Lalgudi on an AIADMK ticket, has stated that talks were underway on extending support to the TVK. Her son-in-law Aadhav Arjuna, who won from Villivakkam is TVK's general secretary. On May 5, former AIADMK minister O S Manian, emerging from his meeting with party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, stated

Tamil Nadu Assembly election results 2026: Check full list of winners

Counting of votes for Tamil Nadu's 234 Assembly constituencies began at 8 am on Monday; it was a decisive victory for Vijay's TVK as it emerged as the largest party

Tamil Nadu Assembly results: TVK emerges largest as Stalin concedes defeat

Tamil Nadu Assembly election results 2026: 'We bow to and accept the verdict of the people,' says CM MK Stalin

Tamil Nadu election results 2026: How top candidates are performing

Tamil Nadu election results 2026: As counting progresses across 234 seats, all eyes are on MK Stalin, Vijay, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Edappadi K Palaniswami

Exit polls: DMK seen retaining power in Tamil Nadu; NDA leads in Puducherry

Exit polls showed the DMK+ retaining power in Tamil Nadu with AIADMK+ trailing, while the NDA held an edge in Puducherry

Will Vijay's TVK disrupt Tamil Nadu's Assembly election arithmetic?

Actor-politician's poll debut is most likely going to split votes. It remains to be seen if DMK or AIADMK benefits

Several 'B teams' tried to break AIADMK but failed, says chief Palaniswami

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday alleged that several "B teams" were formed and many tried to "break" the AIADMK by filing cases in court, but all that has been smashed and shattered into pieces. Without naming expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, Palaniswami, while garnering votes in North Chennai for the April 23 Assembly polls, here, said, "Several internal problems were created in the party and now see where they (Panneerselvam) have gone." "The true face (of Panneerselvam) has come out. The cat is out of the bag. After Amma's (As Jayalalithaa is fondly called, meaning mother) demise, many tried to capture this movement intentionally. But with the help of you all and party supporters, we stopped and have proven that AIADMK is a strong movement," he said. "After Amma passed away (on December 5, 2016) they thought the party would break. They tried so much to break this party by creating some B teams. But, along with the support of the people and party

AIADMK releases first list of 23 candidates for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls

Tamil Nadu's main opposition party AIADMK, leading the NDA in the state, on Wednesday released its first list of 23 candidates for the April 23 Assembly polls and renominated its chief K Palaniswami from his home turf of Edappadi constituency in Salem district. The AIADMK retained in its first list top leaders including K P Munusamy, Dindigul C Sreenivasan and Natham R Viswanathan and it named western region's star leaders SP Velumani, P Thangamani from Thondamuthur and Kumarapalayam. Although Tamil nationalist NTK had already released its list of candidates for all the 234 seats, AIADMK is the first major party in the state to release its list of candidates, albeit in part.

AIADMK, if voted to power, will give free fridges to ration cardholders

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced free refrigerators for all rice ration cardholders if his party is voted to power in the 2026 Assembly election. Also, he assured to provide one kilo dal and one litre of cooking oil for free to rice category ration cardholders in Tamil Nadu. His announcements toe the line of the party leader and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who had announced the populist scheme to provide free fans, mixies, and grinders as part of the AIADMK election manifesto ahead of the 2011 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. After coming to power, she launched the distribution of these freebies on September 15, 2011, coinciding with former Chief Minister C N Annadurai's birth anniversary. Releasing the party's poll manifesto for the April 23 election, at the AIADMK state headquarters here, Palaniswami said, "The free fridge is meant to reduce the household workload of homemakers.

AIADMK to retain lion share of seats, BJP to get many to contest TN poll

With nine days left for the filing of nominations for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election to commence, the seat-sharing parleys in the AIADMK-led NDA has entered a crucial phase and the lead party of the bloc is likely to retain about 170 seats, party sources said on Saturday. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's New Delhi visit on March 19 has finalised the numbers and the party is likely to retain about 160 to 170 seats out of the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state. "This is to ensure that the AIADMK obtained a majority on its own to form the government," a senior party leader said. The party requires a simple majority of 118 MLAs to form the government on its own. Palaniswami, who heads the NDA in the state, has already set a target to win 210 seats and is being projected as the chief ministerial face of the bloc. The BJP is likely to be allocated 30 seats, up by 10 than the number it contested in the 2021 Assembly election, while the PMK (Anbumani) is likely to

Poll season potboiler in TN: Panneerselvam's crossover adds new complexity

O Panneerselvam's crossover adds new complexity to a finely poised electoral battle shaped by shifting alliances and Vijay adding a new variable

Expelled AIADMK leader, 3-time Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam joins DMK

OPS, who had functioned as AIADMK Treasurer and also held the erstwhile top position of party coordinator, joined the DMK along with his son, P Ravindhranath Kumar and supporters

AIADMK announces pension hike, loan waivers in second poll promise list

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday released the second set of poll promises, including a hike in monthly social security pensions to Rs 2,000 and waiver of education loans. "Under the social security pension scheme, the monthly assistance provided to senior citizens, widows, destitutes, differently abled persons and transgenders will be raised from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 when AIADMK forms government in the state" Palaniswami said in a party statement here. As a livelihood suport measure, three free LPG gas cylinders would be provided to ration card holders every year. Reiterating his earlier comment, he said that if a bull-tamer loses his life during Jallikattu (bull taming sport), a compensation of Rs 10 lakh would be provided to the family. Rs 2 lakh would be provided to those sustaining injuries during the bull taming, he said. Aimed at encouraging the sport, Palaniswami said a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh would be provided to host Jallikattu events in ...

Palaniswami meets Shah, discusses prevailing political situation in TN

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday said he had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss the prevailing political situation in Tamil Nadu, and that they did not deliberate on alliance-related matters. The AIADMK top leader also categorically ruled out any scope for taking back expelled leaders V K Sasikala and O Panneerselvam into the party and said he was presently engaged in efforts to strengthen the NDA ahead of ths year's Assembly polls, likely in March-April. The former Chief Minister said he called on Shah at the latter's residence in the national capital on January 7 night since he could not meet the senior BJP leader during his visit to Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. "I had prior engagements at Salem and Kallakurichi, hence I couldn't meet him. So, I came to Delhi and met him," he told reporters at the New Delhi airport. Incidentally, the meeting happened on a day when the Dr Anbumani Ramadoss faction of the PMK joined the ...

The economics and art of giving: TN elections may revive freebie debate

With elections in Tamil Nadu approaching, the 'investment or freebie' debate, as part of the overall development question, is likely to resume

Piyush Goyal meets AIADMK chief Palaniswami, initiates seat sharing talks

Union Minister Piyush Goyal will interact with senior BJP functionaries and meet Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi during his brief visit to Chennai on Tuesday. On his maiden visit to the state after taking over as the BJP's election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Goyal will also meet AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. "He would interact with the state leaders to assess their preparedness for the 2026 Assembly election. The meeting is likely to be more of a familiarisation exercise since he took charge on December 15, a senior BJP leader told PTI. A source in the AIADMK said Goyal would meet Palaniswami for a luncheon meeting, setting the tone for future negotiations on seat sharing between the BJP and the AIADMK, which leads the NDA in the state. Goyal would wind up his visit by meeting Ravi in the evening.

Udhayanidhi mocks AIADMK, calls it 'Amit Shah' Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has alleged that the SIR of electoral rolls was a "shortcut" attempt of the BJP to delete votes of people who vote for his party, the DMK and mocked at rival AIADMK saying it has become "Amit Shah Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam." Reiterating his allegation that the BJP-led Centre was yet again attempting to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu through the New Education Policy, the ruling DMK youth wing chief said that while other states have agreed to it "our chief minister has made it clear that it is not possible" even if it would bring Rs 10,000 crore payout from the union government. Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami has "completely surrendered himself " to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Udhayanidhi said in a mocking tone. He ridiculed the main opposition party saying, "the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has become Amit Shah Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam." AIADMK chief Palaniswami who has aligned with the BJP claims

AIADMK flags lack of wheat in ration shops; TN govt to supply by mid-Nov

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami flagged the lack of wheat stock at the fair price shops across Tamil Nadu, prompting the state government to respond by assuring the supplies by November 15. State Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Sakkarapani, in reply to Palaniswami's claim that wheat was not available in 12,573 ration shops, has said that the state government has been continuously requesting the Centre to allocate more wheat to Tamil Nadu. From January 2024 to September 2024, only 8,576 metric tons of wheat was allotted by the union government on a monthly basis. Following Chief Minister M K Stalin's insistence, wheat allocation to the state was increased to 17,100.38 metric tons from October 2024 to February 2025, Sakkarapani said. This was being distributed to the general public in fair price shops without any hindrance. Currently, the Centre has reduced the wheat quota to the previous quantum of allotment, he said in a statement here on November 9. The average

No protection for women in TN, crimes against them increases: AIADMK chief

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday claimed there was no protection to women and girls in Tamil Nadu, as crimes against them continued to "increase." Targeting the state government on women's safety, Palaniswami said it was very disheartening that women and girls lacked safety under the present DMK rule. The DMK government appeared to take pride in compensating 6,999 victims of sexual violence, as per the provisions of the POCSO Act, by providing them Rs 104 crore during its rule, he said. "The Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister has said that the government provided a relief of about Rs 104 crore to 6,999 girl victims. Is it a matter of pride to compensate girl victims, or is it wise to reduce crimes against them," Palaniswami asked while addressing the party's 54th foundation day meeting at Omalur in the district. The state government had disbursed the sum under the Women Victims Compensation Fund. Stating that party leaders and former Chief ...