AIADMK Chief EPS Strips Party Posts of 11 C.Ve. Shanmugam Loyalists in Villupuram

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on July 16 removed 11 office-bearers in Villupuram district who were identified as loyalists of former minister C.Ve. Shanmugam, stripping them of their party posts with immediate effect.

Those removed included district, town and union-level functionaries named Anandhi, K.V.N. Venkatesan, Jayaprakash and Bhaskaran, among others.

The action followed a series of clashes within the district unit between supporters of district secretary Pasupathi and those aligned with Shanmugam, with recent party meetings in Tindivanam and Gingee witnessing heated confrontations that included violence and damage to property, prompting a police complaint.

The move has triggered fresh unrest in Villupuram, with Shanmugam's supporters publicly opposing the decision.

The episode is the latest sign of factional strain inside the AIADMK, which has already seen a wave of resignations and defections to the ruling TVK since the 2026 Assembly election.