AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, accompanied by his party colleagues, met with Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
This trip to the capital holds considerable significance, given recent developments within the prominent Dravidian party.
Lately, there have been renewed efforts to unify various factions under the AIADMK banner, including those who had previously departed the organization. K.A. Sengottaiyan, the current Gobichettipalayam MLA and former School Education Minister, issued a 10-day ultimatum on September 5, urging Mr. Palaniswami to initiate reconciliation talks. This call received predictable support from former party leaders O. Panneerselvam, V.K. Sasikala, and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran. However, Mr. Palaniswami responded not by engaging in talks, but by removing Mr. Sengottaiyan from his party positions.
On the evening of September 8, Mr. Sengottaiyan held meetings with Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders, Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman, in New Delhi. He later informed reporters that he had discussed party affairs with them.
The night of September 15 saw the AIADMK General Secretary address a public meeting in Chennai. During his speech, he referred to past actions by those aligned with Mr. Panneerselvam in 2022 and Mr. Dhinakaran in 2017, questioning how individuals responsible for damaging the party headquarters and orchestrating the “abduction” of 18 legislators could be readmitted.
As public discussions emerged about the future and stability of the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP, Mr. Palaniswami, in his Chennai address, specifically recalled the central BJP-led government’s assistance in safeguarding the AIADMK regime from attempts to unseat it following the passing of Jayalalithaa in December 2016.
It remains unclear whether Mr. Palaniswami’s current visit to New Delhi will include a meeting with Mr. Shah.