Will speak later on AIADMK-NDA issue: Union Minister Murugan on factional crisis

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 14 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan refrained from commenting in detail on the reported split within the AIADMK and statements by senior leader C V Shanmugam regarding the party's association with the NDA alliance.
Speaking to reporters after arriving at Coimbatore Airport, Murugan said he would respond to the issue later and did not make any detailed remarks on the political developments surrounding the AIADMK.
On reports of divisions within the AIADMK and Shanmugam's statement that the party was no longer with the NDA alliance, Murugan said, "I will speak later about the issues. There is nothing important to say now."
After interacting briefly with the media, the Union Minister left for Mettupalayam under police escort.
Murugan's remarks came after Shanmugam claimed that the majority of party MLAs had passed a resolution to contest elections independently and remain outside any alliance.
"So, the majority of AIADMK MLAs in the meeting passed a resolution that the AIADMK will contest the election alone. AIADMK will be without any alliance. We are without an alliance now and should revamp our party in the coming days," Shanmugam had said.
He also announced that former minister S P Velumani would serve as the AIADMK Assembly Leader, while C Vijayabaskar had been appointed as the party Whip.
The political developments come amid escalating tensions within the AIADMK, with Shanmugam openly criticising party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and accusing him of weakening the organisation through repeated expulsions of dissenting leaders.
Earlier, Shanmugam claimed that a majority of AIADMK MLAs had rejected the proposal of forming a government with the support of the DMK and instead decided to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government in Tamil Nadu.
"We started this party against the DMK. For 53 years, we did politics against the DMK. In such a situation, the proposal that an AIADMK government would be formed with the support of the DMK was one that the majority of members did not accept and instead opposed," Shanmugam had said.
He further alleged that the AIADMK's core ideology had been weakened under the leadership of EPS and accused him of removing dissenting leaders from party posts.
"In his four years as General Secretary, his only work is sacking from party and party posts. Whoever questions him is sacked from the post and even the party itself," Shanmugam alleged.
The political turmoil within the AIADMK has deepened following disciplinary action initiated by the EPS-led faction against several MLAs and senior leaders accused of defying the party whip during the recent floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Several leaders, including C V Shanmugam, S P Velumani and C Vijayabaskar, were removed from organisational posts by the EPS faction.
The faction also submitted a petition to the Assembly Secretary seeking action against 25 MLAs who allegedly voted in favour of the TVK government.
The ongoing infighting within the AIADMK has triggered sharp political exchanges in Tamil Nadu, with questions being raised over party unity and leadership ahead of future elections. (ANI)